Being generous and being taken advantage of is a fine line. You have to decide where to draw it. I feel great when I know I'm helping someone out, but when it starts to eat into my own family time, that is when I draw the line. What about you? Where do you draw the line?
An important thing to know is what is too much for you? If you start to feel uncomfortable with the amount of time your giving out, that's when you need to say no. No, is not a dirty word. It can be your best friend if you let it. Otherwise, how will anyone know you aren't comfortable helping out? If you don't want to do something and you say yes, then you are part of the problem. So don't be afraid to say no. They will find someone else to help and you won't be frustrated. It's a win, win situation in my book.
If you are a designer like me, you may be asked to donate your design time. You have to be very judicious with this and plan for it in your yearly budget. Pick out the few charities or friends that you are passionate about and donate your services to just those. Otherwise, everyone will be hitting you up for free work and then how will you make a living?
We all walk the fine line between generosity and being taken advantage of quite often, but it's up to us to draw the line. Be strong, and don't be afraid to say no. Remember, generosity should feel good and if it doesn't, you should have said no.
Take care!
Jill
2 comments:
So important. So many of my peers burned out after a few months, at most a few years, because we worked in such needy areas. What kept me going was to know when to let the bell ring and go home and feed myself. There were a few times I felt like I was lifting off a lot of other's burdens but no one was lifting off mine. Then, I realized my own empowerment... I could not thrive on being generous to others if I was not generous with myself.
Nicely done blog entry!
Great comment Carol! It's like on the airplane when they tell you to put on your oxygen mask first. You have to take care of you first in order to be helpful to others.
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