You won’t be everybody’s favorite. Knowing who you are makes that surprisingly easy to live with.

Being liked by everyone would require being slightly different for each person, which is exhausting and eventually leaves nothing solid underneath. Some people will not warm to you for reasons that have nothing to do with your worth. When you are clear on what you value, a lukewarm reaction stops feeling like a verdict and starts feeling like a mismatch.

Think of one person whose approval you keep chasing. Ask what you would have to change to get it, and whether you would still recognize the result. Spend that energy on the two or three people who already get you.