is it really your nature to be “helpful?” or were you just conditioned from childhood to believe that being useful to others was the only way to win approval and feel safe, since your caregivers failed to instill a sense of inherent self-worth in you?

it’s ok if these traits (people-pleasing, fawning, co-dependency) became a part of you.

we adopt survival mechanisms based on our capacities at the time. these are common, normal response among children

(esp. girls, but plenty of boys develop them as well)

thank this old part of yourself for keeping you safe all this time, and getting you to where you are today.

then, gently let it go – it’s time to create space for new tools/mindsets/boundaries.

where you’re going, you don’t have live in self-sacrifice anymore.