One thing I’d like to change about myself … my absolute, unrelenting need to be agreeable.

I recently listened to a recording of myself trying to persuade my mother-in-law to follow her doctor’s advice. And, listening to the recording, you’d be forgiven if you thought you were listening to a Master Class titled “The Art of Beating Around the Bush.” Twenty minutes of me spouting mealy-mouthed nonsense when the situation called for something along the lines of “Are you bleeping crazy? Of course you should not have an unnecessary medical procedure!”

It’s exhausting to go through life constantly calibrating your speech and actions so as not to offend. Listening to myself on that recording made me cringe. It’s something I’m going to work on.