Week of Wise Words

“You are not required to set yourself on fire to keep other people warm.” – Unknown (but really, really wise person)

Don’t set yourself on fire.

This sounds like common sense. Common sense is not always common, and, often in our attempts to help others, we overlook what we know to be right and fail to avoid the flames of over-extending ourselves.

(Most people who know me are laughing out loud right now because I am the QUEEN of over-extending. I’m working on that. 🙂 )

“You are not required to set yourself on fire to keep other people warm.”

The message of Intentergy is to always put your best effort into your actions.

If your intent is to fix the problems of those who don’t necessarily want to be fixed, I am sorry to report, but your energy is not being used in the best way possible. You are wasting your energy.

“You are not required to set yourself on fire to keep other people warm”

Consider the ways you are trying to serve others. Are there people or causes in your life that no matter how much you give or do the circumstances never change?

An example of this could be someone who never holds onto a job, no matter how many letters of recommendation you write or interview suits you loan them. Or a small business owner that continues to ask for loans to get their business going but their personal life is the only thing showing financial fluency. Maybe it is someone who always comes to you for relationship advice, but continually ends up in terrible relationships or derails relationships themselves with poor choices.

If you know your recommendations, advice, money, or support are not being used for their intended purpose over and over, STOP. Love yourself and your gifts enough to step away from the flames and refuse to be consumed any longer by fruitless ventures.

This redirection for you could lead to a new lesson learned for the person who was dependent on you.

Freedom from unhealthy dependency provides new venues which you can dedicate your time and talents. That freedom could fan the flames for something terrific in your life and give your intentions purpose that you never dreamed possible.

By: Melanie A. Peters