Being Needed Is Not the Same as Being Loved

Cacao Conversations: Sip. Connect. Awaken. · Jun 3, 2026 · 42m

Last week, we started a conversation about people pleasing, overgiving, and what happens when helping everyone else starts hurting you.

This week, we're going deeper. Because the real issue isn't helping people. The real question is: Who are you if nobody needs you?

Many of us learned that being useful was the safest way to receive love, approval, connection, or a sense of worth. We became the helper, the fixer, the caretaker, the strong one. We learned to anticipate other people's needs while often ignoring our own. But eventually, that way of living catches up with us.

The exhaustion.

The…