In seeking to save another,
beware of drowning yourself.
Sir Francis Osborne
You are not responsible for how other people act. You are responsible for your actions and for living up to the standards that you have set for yourself. Yes, other people will act like jerks. They will be ungracious and rude. They will be and do many things that you will find offensive, but this doesn’t excuse you from living by your own high standards.
There will be days when you don’t want to be nice to other people, days when you have had so much garbage dumped on your doorstep that you just feel that you have nothing left to give to anyone. When you start to feel this way, you know that your life has become out of balance and you should stop and take time for yourself. Meditate and get rebalanced. Everyone has stress and problems, including you. Don’t get into the habit of putting everyone else first and ignoring your own needs.
As with everything on this earth, you can go overboard in this area by constantly putting others first and not taking care of your own needs. Sir Francis Osborne warned, “In seeking to save another, beware of drowning yourself.” If you don’t take care of your own needs, spiritually, mentally, and physically, you will never have enough to give to others. If your teapot is bone dry, how can you share tea with anyone else? Make sure you don’t forget to have compassion for yourself too.
