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Tara Johnson

sharing stories through writing, speaking and singing

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people pleasing

When We Fall for the Lie “Approval Equals Love”

April 30, 2020 By Tara Johnson 4 Comments

I desperately want people to like me. There. I said it. The thought of someone being displeased with me in any way drops a sick feeling in my gut. What’s one way to shake that cold feeling of dread? Work harder. Be more agreeable, more likable. Fit in. Be accepted and never, ever let them see the real you. After all, if they know what you’re really like, the acceptance will disappear. Right? That’s what I told myself, anyways. I’ve battled people pleasing all my Read More

Filed Under: people pleasing Tagged With: approval versus love, depression, Freedom, Freedom in Christ, people pleasing, satan's lies

Shattering the Fairytale Part 2: Rewriting the Story

January 27, 2020 By Tara Johnson Leave a Comment

In part one, I told you all about how those pesky Disney princess messed me up, as well as diving into how perfectly unhappy I became trying to be, well, perfect. Am I the only recovering perfectionist out there? I left you dangling with this question: now that we recognize the problem, and see what causes it, what will we do about it? 1. First of all, remind yourself that God loves you no matter how well, or how poorly, you perform. “In all these Read More

Filed Under: perfectionism Tagged With: embracing imperfection, Forgiveness, people pleasing, perfectionism, safe people, unconditional love

Shattering the Fairytale: When Perfect Isn’t Enough

January 22, 2020 By Tara Johnson Leave a Comment

The Disney princesses messed me up. I confess I had quite a fascination with them when I was growing up (after I finished my Princess Leia phase, that is). I was going to be as beautiful as Aurora and I was going to have a grand adventure like Belle. And I was going to be a singer like Ariel. Or at the very least, a marine biologist. But let’s get real for a moment, shall we? There was one big problem with all those Disney Read More

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: control, Disney messed me up, fear of failure, need for love, people pleasing, perfect, perfectionism, princesses messed me up, unconditional love

Am I Good Enough?

October 17, 2019 By Tara Johnson 2 Comments

I love everything about the creative process. From spinning a story world into existence, breathing characters to life or muddling through their spiritual and emotional transformations, I find the entire journey exhilarating. I even love the grueling grind of editing. (Most days, at least.) Even with the exhilarating side to creating, writing is a tough gig, especially when you consider you’re putting your deepest thoughts and musings out for everyone to see. It’s an open invitation for anyone to take a peek inside your most Read More

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Bible, book reviews, critics, living to please God, people pleasing, publishing, rejection, reviews, writing to please God

What Am I Really Chasing?

August 2, 2018 By Tara Johnson 2 Comments

I have no idea how it started. Little hints of discouragement. The nagging whispers of “Those other authors are better than you. Their books look like they are doing well. Is yours even selling?”  A rough day with the kids and that poisonous hiss tickled my ear. “If you were a better mom, this wouldn’t have happened.”  A long to-do list that is never completed. Phone calls that never stop. Some days, I feel like I’m struggling just to keep my head above water. I Read More

Filed Under: Walking with God Tagged With: comparison, knowing God, living for God, people pleasing, pursue the things that matter, Pursuing God, seeking JEsus, stress, to do list

A Word for People Pleasers

October 27, 2017 By Tara Johnson 2 Comments

Patrick Hendry

Sometimes I don’t have much to say. Not enough words to fill up a haiku, much less a blog. Life gets busy, my body runs on fumes and caffeine, kids scream for attention…you know the drill. Yet despite the normal grind of living, the fear never completely goes away. The enemy is always lurking, ever hissing and flinging his accusations, preying upon my darkest secrets and coldest fears. There are some battles that must be fought over and over again. That’s okay. If you’re a Read More

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: God, Jesus, living to please Jesus, loved, people pleasers, people pleasing, satan's lies, treasured, Worth, worth in Christ

The Thief: The Problem with Comparing

July 16, 2017 By Tara Johnson Leave a Comment

Jean size. That dreaded number on the scale. Checking account balances. Facebook friends. Instagram and Twitter followers. Awards and degrees. Points scored by your child at his last game. Job performance evaluations. So many numbers and none of them are good or bad when rattled off in isolation. The only time we have a problem with any of the above is when we are tempted to compare these numbers to the stats of others. Teddy Roosevelt once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” So Read More

Filed Under: Uncategorized, Walking with God Tagged With: Christian living, comparing, Comparison is the thief of joy, comparisons, God, Insecurity, jealousy, Jesus, joyful living, people pleasing, perfectionism

The Rodeo Clown: Learning to Be Seen

July 3, 2017 By Tara Johnson 1 Comment

“Tara, why can’t you look me in the eye?” My friend’s question sliced to the quick. We had been chatting for over forty minutes and the topic had drifted from the mundane to more personal waters. Personal makes me uncomfortable. When I know someone is peeling back layers and taking a peek underneath the mask I work so hard to keep fixed in place, the intensity of their stare is too much. I don’t want them to see the trembling mess I am. So I Read More

Filed Under: Uncategorized, Walking with God Tagged With: El Roi, embracing grace, fear, God, Insecurity, Jesus, people pleasing, perfectionism, shame, The God Who sees me

Trolls on the Bridge: How to Keep Negative Feedback from Shredding Your Heart

May 15, 2017 By Tara Johnson Leave a Comment

I recently read this quote by Allen Arnold and it resonated deeply. “If God is pleased with your latest creation but the world ignores it, how do you feel? The answer reveals who you are creating for.” Excellent question. I fall into this trap far too often. I hope people like what I’ve written. This new blog was a step out of my comfort zone. Will people read it? Will they like it? This doesn’t even have to revolve around writing. This could be about Read More

Filed Under: Uncategorized, Walking with God, Writer's Life Tagged With: approval, criticism, critics, God, haters, how to handle hurtful comments, how to handle negative reviews, how to handle reviews, Jesus, love your enemies, negative feedback, people pleasing, trolls, Worth

Amazon Customer Reviews on the Bible: Putting Criticism into Perspective

April 25, 2017 By Tara Johnson Leave a Comment

Receiving a long awaited publishing contract is a euphoric feeling. It’s also terrifying for someone like me, a recovering people-pleaser. I love absolutely everything about the creative process. From spinning a story world into existence, breathing characters to life or muddling through their spiritual and emotional transformations, I find the entire journey exhilarating. I even love the grueling grind of editing. (Most days, at least.) With my debut release scheduled for summer of 2018, life is a whirlwind of excitement. Edits and marketing plans, launch Read More

Filed Under: Uncategorized, Writer's Life, Writing Fiction Tagged With: criticism, handling criticism, how to handle reviews, Jesus, people pleasing, recovering people pleaser, Writing

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Meet Tara

Tara JohnsonTara Johnson is a writer, singer, speaker and passionate lover of stories. Tara uses fiction, nonfiction, song and laughter to share her testimony of how God led her into freedom after spending years living shackled to the expectations of others. She lives in central Arkansas with her husband and children.

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