Kelly Clarkson Dishes On Why Being A People Pleaser Might Be Her Worst Trait

Kelly Clarkson joined Hoda Kotb for a segment in a new series put on by the Today Show, and opened up about how the singer considers herself a people pleaser, and how that isn’t always a good thing.

On the series “Quoted By…with Hoda,” Kotb sits down with famous folks and asks them to share an inspirational antidote that has helped them through a tough time. She asks her guests what gets them through their day, in hopes that the sharing will inspire others to forge through whatever it is going on in their lives.

Clarkson shared how some sage advice from a good friend helped her realize that making everyone happy isn’t always what’s best. She tells the Today Show host that the tell-tale sign that her life is in disarray is to take a look in her closet. A clean closet means all is well in Clarkson’s world, but a messy closet can be a signal that something just isn’t right with the Meaning of Life singer.

“I never want anyone to feel left out. It’s like the worst, last picked for the team, all that kind of stuff. I don’t ever want that,” Clarkson confessed to Kotb. She goes on to say that this kind of behavior led her to keep some pretty toxic people in her life. That is until Calamity McEntire, niece of country star Reba McEntire (Clarkson’s mother-in-law), got real with Clarkson and told her she needed to cut out those who weren’t making her feel like her best self.

“Pick the weeds but keep the flowers. You gotta pull people in that are going to make you a better person. And, you’ve got to clear out the ones who are super negative,” McEntire advised.

And Clarkson did, though the act didn’t come easy to the American Idol alum. She goes on to tell Kotb that being loyal, to a fault, is one of her worst traits. Clarkson went on to say that although she was surrounded by these negative people, because of her abandonment issues it was difficult for her to let people go — she believes that everyone has potential.

Clarkson was so inspired by McEntire’s words, she used a variation of the quote in her 2007 song, “Sober.” The singer went on to tell Kotb that she now has cleared those toxic people out of her life, and she now feels like a happier and healthier person.

“The older we get, I feel like the wiser we get,” Clarkson added.