Lesson 13: When People Show You Who They Are, Believe Them

These workbook questions were curated by Martha Beck. The goal is to continue the conversation and go deeper into the lesson. Your answers are private, no one else can see them.

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If the most awful person you ever met gets a score of -10, and the most wonderful person gets a score of +10, what score would you give other people in your life? Make your list, below.

Who's showing you negative, positive, or neutral qualities right now? Are you responding appropriately? How could you be more true to your knowledge?

What relationships in your life are potentially rewarding, but not actually rewarding? Who's in your life based purely on "potential"?

Where are you doing the same thing over and over and expecting others to react or behave differently?

What's the difference between trust and love? Can you choose to love someone but make the decision not to trust them completely?

We often put up with people whose flaws remind us of people who raised us. Do you repeatedly trust people who tell you they have problems (addiction, money problems, anger issues) that are similar to your family of origin?

Are you getting negative feedback about someone in your life from several unconnected third parties? Does what they've shown others cause you to re-think your opinion?

Are you ignoring something you sense is important because if you admitted your truth, it may lead to the end of a relationship?

Where can you free yourself from a bad relationship to leave space for a better one?

Published on October 26, 2011

From letting go of anger to believing in yourself, look back at some of the greatest lessons Oprah learned during 25 seasons of The Oprah Winfrey Show.

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