Many of us, in some way, are afraid of displeasing people.  Some of us, for instance, constantly worry that our superiors at work see us in a negative light.  Some of us fret over the possibility that our loved ones—whether they’re our families, intimate partners or friends—will abandon us.  Still others are in people-pleasing mode [...]

I’ve found that one of the most reliable ways to measure the progress of my personal growth is to notice how I feel when I look someone in the eye.  Whenever I start doubting that all the inner work I’ve done on myself has had any effect, all I need to do is go outside [...]