Books When Making Others Happy Is Making You Miserable: How to Break the Pattern of People Pleasing and Confidently Live Your Life  by Karen Ehman (Author), Lysa TerKeurst (Foreword)

"When Making Others Happy Is Making You Miserable: How to Break the Pattern of People Pleasing and Confidently Live Your Life" by Karen Ehman, with a foreword by Lysa TerKeurst, is a Christian self-help book that addresses the emotional harm and spiritual struggle involved in chronic people-pleasing. Ehman shares her own journey as a lifelong people-pleaser who learned that constantly seeking approval from others led to lying, burnout, and loss of personal joy. She emphasizes that people-pleasing is placing others or their opinions above God, which can deeply damage one’s spiritual and emotional well-being.

The book guides readers through recognizing the destructive patterns of people-pleasing, including the tendency to say yes when one really wants to say no, overworking, and suppressing authentic feelings to avoid conflict. Ehman offers biblical wisdm and practical steps to set healthy boundaries, prioritize God’s approval over human approval, and build confidence to live authentically with courage and grace. The tone is compassionate yet firm, encouraging readers to stop living for others’ approval and start living for their true worth in God’s eyes.