As a chronic people pleaser, my therapist told me I should start putting myself first, but when I tried to implement that advice into my life, everyone in the checkout line got super mad at me!
All I did was rightfully jump to the front of the very busy grocery store line for once in my life, and now I’m the bad guy?
I quickly scheduled another appointment with my therapist and when I told her my predicament, she said what she had intended me to do was put myself first emotionally, not necessarily physically. But when I told her that beating the line did make me feel emotionally empowered, she had nothing to say. Mostly because I then immediately ended our Zoom meeting.
My therapist should be happy that I stopped neglecting my own needs, started living in a way that served me, and ended Zoom calls the minute I didn’t want to hear what the other person had to say.
I was finally living for me and me alone! What a breakthrough!
By setting healthy boundaries (not waiting in lines), caring for my well-being (ignoring the people yelling threats and insults at me), and making time for what I love (running out of the store without paying for my groceries after the grocery store employee reprimanded me and made me feel embarrassed), I’ve felt more free and empowered than ever!
Plus, by taking care of my own needs first, I’m putting myself in a better position to care for others too! However, no one in the checkout line that extended all the way down the cereal aisle seemed to understand that. Instead, they just yelled things like, “Hey, she’s cutting, she’s cutting!” and “She just rang up a 12 ounce sirloin as a bushel of bananas!” when I cut the self-checkout line the next day.
What? Am I supposed to stop saying “no” to paying for groceries now too? Sounds like a slippery slope to getting back into my people pleasing ways.
My therapist said I can’t make everyone happy all of the time. So, naturally, I took that to mean “make everyone super incensed all at once.” And it worked! I also would’ve felt great and fulfilled if it hadn’t been for the frankly grotesque reactions of everyone around me. Newsflash, guys: jealousy isn’t pretty.
Am I literally the only one who’s in therapy these days?
Even though the grocery store security told me I’m not welcome back at that store and if they see me again they’ll “put me down”– I don’t plan to stop my self-love journey anytime soon, only this time I’m going to steal from a bank! Wish me luck!
