We watched this episode of The Office last night, and it sums up quite nicely my mindset at work over the past few years:
Do I need to be liked? Absolutely not.
I like to be liked. I enjoy being liked. I have to be liked.
But it's not like this... compulsive...need to be liked.
Like my need to be praised.
Michael Scott
Let's be serious, it's probably more accurate to say that it's been my mindset in LIFE over ALL of the years.
May I just say, should you be considering it for yourself: need something else.
Need to be satisfied with your choices. If you're not, make new ones. Need to be balanced. Reassess your priorities and make sure you are giving the most important ones their proper due. Need to be honest with yourself. Don't push through something because you need to please others, be they actual people or meddling voices in the back of your head. Need to listen to what your body is telling you. Need to have quiet and still enough a mind that you can fully understand what its message means.
...just do NOT need to be praised and liked, lest you end up like me, Ebenezer. It's all going to catch up with you at some point. This is the end of my Ghost of Christmas Future message.