Are you a people pleaser? Do you feel powerless in your own life?

First of all, you are so strong for having handled everything that life has thrown your way. I want you to know that you are never stuck. Please don't ever think you are.

You get to make the choices in your life. YOU are the writer of your own story. Nobody gets to have power over you. Period. Do not give them control. Do not let them back you into a corner.

If someone ever tries, promise me you'll fight. Promise YOURSELF that you'll fight. You will not be made a victim. You will speak your truth, and get yourself out of whatever situation that's making you unhappy.

Let me tell you guys a story..

I was in an abusive marriage for years. My whole life, I've felt like a victim, quite honestly. I watched life happen to me, rather than played a part in the choosing of what did or didn't. I didn't realize I had choices. I said yes when I wanted to say no, and I said "sure" a lot. I did anything I could, to keep the peace.

Ok. So back to my marriage disaster. Before we were even married, the guy showed signs of being aggressive toward his mother. I lived with them both, after he convinced me to move out of my own apartment. He told me that he wanted me to start fresh with all new stuff, and I said okay. I didn't want to get rid of my things. I kept some and I was proud of that.

For anyone reading and thinking "well that's your own fault," true. It is. But have some compassion and understanding please. This happens to people all the time. The kinds of people I'm hoping to shed some light on.

See, when you're brought up with a people pleasing mentality, nothing you do or say matters. You don't use your voice, because you feel you don't have one. You feel weak. You'd rather hide in the shadows, than stake your claim, so to speak.

I married a guy I didn't even want, due to people pleasing. Everyone was there, my family had pressured me one night at dinner, after a two year engagement, and I just gave in. Everything had been paid for, and to top it off, the wedding officiant had his dog die that day, and still came. Bad omen.

So anyway, I decided to go through with it. I didn't want to let anyone down. Know who I was letting down, though? Myself. I was telling myself " I don't care about your happiness and your choices do not matter." I abandoned myself that day.

I regretted it as soon as it was over. I had chained myself to someone I didn't love, all because I was worried about what people would think.

The marriage was terrible. He used to scream at me, throw and break things.. everything you'd expect from someone who's abusive. He'd actually tell me " this is hell in a cell, there's no way out." Wrestling reference.

I believed it too, for so long. I would be so depressed with my life, that I actually wanted to kill myself rather than release myself from that prison. I saw that as my life - the only way it could be. I was afraid to take control. I was afraid to see my strength.

Please do not be that person. You are never stuck with anything you don't want. You are the creator of your own life - what happens in it.

My point in all this is to stand up for what you feel is right in your heart. Other people's opinions do not matter. They are not the ones that have to live with the choices you make, you do.

Choose what is right for you, always.

I offer private life coaching if anyone is interested. You can find me on Facebook under this name. Thanks so much for reading!