Many of us, in some way, are afraid of displeasing people.  Some of us, for instance, constantly worry that our superiors at work see us in a negative light.  Some of us fret over the possibility that our loved ones—whether they’re our families, intimate partners or friends—will abandon us.  Still others are in people-pleasing mode [...]

This might not sound revolutionary to some, but I recently realized I’ve made great strides in my ability to say “no” to others’ requests.  A few days ago, a friend called, saying she was having a surprise party for another friend that night and she wanted me to be there.  I was planning to go [...]