instead of politely declining, you worry about that fear of judgment and hear yourself say, “Sure, let’s do it!” while your brain is screaming, Say n… - Lewis Howes

My sense of humor developed because it helped me compensate for my pain. If I felt insignificant inside, which I did during my childhood, I learned if I can make someone laugh, it feels like they value me. And if they value me, then it means I’m significant. And if I’m significant because I just made them laugh, then I don’t feel the sense of insignificance that I’m relentlessly trying to escape from. I became addicted to making people laugh. It was my survival strategy. The good thing about that was it helped train me to become a black belt of comedy.

if you’re receiving validation from others instead of having it within yourself or creating your own validation through the things that matter most to you, then you are always going to be subject to the judgment of others.

Success is in the process, not the outcome.