Professionals Against Bullying

Sunday, January 11, 2009

I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.

I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.
Bill CosbyUS comedian & television actor (1937 - )

The quote above is from Bill Cosby. I chose to open this post with the topic of people pleasing because this is probably one of the biggest ways to deter a healthy self-esteem. When I was in grades K-12 I felt a strong desire to please my friends. My clothes, hair styles, etc. had to be approved by the crowd I was linked to.
I recall being in the third grade and wanting to be popular so badly that I paid a girl in cookies to be my friend at recess (I know a bit extreme).
As I got older I no longer used cookies to gain friendships but I became less of "Who I am" so that others accepted me more. Becoming less of "Who you are" can mean that you don't tell the truth when something bothers you because you are scared that it will risk your friendship. I can honestly tell you that it is impossible to lose a friend that you never had. True friends want to see you grow and prosper. If you have a friend that is only happy when you make poor choices it's time to rethink this relationship. In my book "Who I am not what I am" Janelle finds out that she does not have much in common with the kids in her class and they question her about her race and ethnicity. Her parents reinforce the things that make her special and she gets satisfaction from these valuable traits that make her unique. Today it might be a good idea to take a look at yourself in the mirror and remind yourself that you are unique and special and if that is not pleasing to others...that's okay. At the end of the day make sure that you are pleased with your own reflection...I have a feeling this will bring you closer to the key to success!
Read something great! Write something pleasing to you!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

true you are right about the key to success.
In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.

People love to please one another in life but the key thing is pleasing you. To me the key to success is reaching your goals and standards. For you to know the key to success you must set your own high standards that you can meet. Failure is like not following your dreams or not taking word of advice from the wise. For example, if you desire to be a doctor and you dropout of high school that would be one thing that can cause key to failure because your trying to please your friends. The point Bill Cosby is trying to make is that trying to please everyone is a road that will eventually make you feel one bad and/or two really stressed out. Therefore, that is where failure comes in