Hi Reader,

For a long time, I thought being the peacekeeper was one of my better qualities.

I could read the room.

Feel the tension.

Know when to change the subject, stay quiet, make a joke, let something go...

Whatever kept things from getting worse.

I thought I was being kind.

What I didn't realize was how often I was keeping everyone else's peace by giving away my own.

And there was another part I didn't understand for a very long time:

I wasn't always trying to make people like me.

Sometimes, I was trying to make sure they weren't upset with me.

Those are not the same thing.

That's what this week's article is about.

And if you've ever found yourself explaining, fixing, apologizing, backpedaling—or saying "it's fine" when it absolutely wasn't—I have a feeling you'll recognize yourself in this one.

→ Read: Whose Peace Are You Keeping?​

Keep it brash.

Keep it true to you.

Because you matter.

Lisa