Do we need to please?

I recently finished reading a book with our women's bible study group called "You matter more than you think...what a woman needs to know about the difference she makes". It was written by Dr. Leslie Parrott and I wanted to share something she wrote. One of the chapters really hit home and I know it will for some of you (because we know who WE are)...it's called the "Disease to Please". It's a problem that stems from believing that everyone else's needs are more important than your own. She says we get sucked into the myth of thinking that the more we sacrifice ourselves, the more loving we are. You need to ask yourself: What would you like to do for yourself if you weren't caught up in taking care of everyone else? You may not even know. And if that's the case, you are living a lie that says everyone else's needs are more important than your own. If you do not identify your own needs, you can never effectively meet the needs of others, thereby making a difference. If you are overwhelmed by the sense of responsibility and an almost bottomless well of desire to help, you are suffering from "compassion fatigue". We need to learn to say enough is enough. Step back and try to remember ourselves. Gandhi had a quote that is so true to all of this - "A "No" uttered from deepest conviction is better and greater than a "Yes" merely uttered to please. - Mahatma Ghandi