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Today's
Meditation:
I've
been the person who got into trouble on my own, through my
own mistakes, and believe me, some help would have been
appreciated at those times. But I also know that it's
very important to learn how to deal with adversity on our
own, without someone else bailing us out whenever we get
into trouble, so therein lies an interesting dilemma--how do
we decide when our help is necessary and when our help is
damaging? Are we going to let someone else founder and
lose their faith in people, or are we going to become
enablers by pulling them out of their own mess?
I believe that the answer isn't often easy to find.
I
think that what Sydney says is important, but it simplifies
a very complex situation. There have been times when I
would have loved to help someone else, but I recognize that
allowing that person to work his or her way out of the
problem can be one of the best learning experiences possible
on that person's journey to self-realization. Stepping
in and pulling that person from the mess can be just my
desire to play hero coming out, and it can hurt that
person's growth in the long run.
Discernment
is the key, it seems, and if we can accurately judge the
situation, then we can take appropriate action. If our
own children have been careless and have broken something,
it's important that we not make amends for them--taking care
of the situation on their own will help them to grow up to
be responsible people. If someone at work was carrying
too much and dropped it all, what's the harm in helping them
pick it up? They probably will learn their lesson
whether they get help or not. If a life or someone's
health is at risk, then we must always step in, unless it
would put our own lives or the lives of even more people at
risk.
I
often wonder where I would be if someone had helped in
certain situations, and I never would have learned what it
took to get out of them on my own. It might have been
very bad for me.
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