A friend recently admitted, “I should probably start reading your website, huh?”

To which I quickly replied, “No!”

“Not unless you want to,” I continued. “Do not read it out of any sense of obligation. If you don’t enjoy it, don’t read it.”

The best part is her response.

She often feels pressured to read what her friends have written or recommend. But the truth is she loves being active with friends much more than she likes sitting down to read alone. (Though she does enjoy audiobooks and podcasts.)

I respect her for understanding her shape. She is an extrovert, not an introvert, and she is making great use of her time building powerful relationships.

Back to obligation.

We pressure others into liking what we do, so we can feel more secure about ourselves and our contributions to society. We want our friends to put our drawings on the refrigerator.

This is a sign of insecurity and placing your sense of worth in the wrong place. What others think of you does not define you.

On the side of the coin, the pressure and obligation you often feel are bogus at best. You are not a slave to what others want from you. You have a unique shape which others will never fully understand.

Don’t be ashamed about your bent. Grasp it with both hands and live it out.

And by all means, realize your freedom from obligation, like my friend.