Help

How many times has someone asked you "how are you doing?" and you replied " I am good!", when you really wanted to tell them the opposite? How many times have you walked into a room with the world on your shoulders, but smiled so big other people smiled because you walked in? How many times have you needed help, yet were the first one to volunteer when someone else needed it? How many times were you taken advantage of by someone, knew that was case, yet continued to be nice to that person? How many times have you been hated but continued to combat it with love? How many times have you been told you are worthless, yet continued to try to help others see their self worth? If you have done any of these things, I am sure you are exhausted. The pressure to keep a brave face and continue to give all of yourself to others, while there is no more to give, is a tremendous challenge; however, it is one of the most rewarding. When we go through our challenges, there is always someone else going through more difficulty. If we can step out of our misery and recognize it, we are more willing to walk beside someone, extending our hand to be held by them and to be leaned on. When we are selfless, we may see it in a different perspective and gain a better understanding of our situation. In many ways, when we save a life, we end up saving our own. So, no matter what adversity is present in your life, don't allow it to drag you into its cave. If you can bring a little bit of light into a person's life, it may be that little spark they need to brighten up their entire self. Before you know it, someone will have done it for you as well. My only advice to keep your self protected is to learn how to recognize when someone just wants a company for their misery and to know the difference between self sacrifice and selflessness. Understand that we can only help those, who want to help themselves and we can only be helped if we ourselves are already trying to do so.

Vladimir Kush' Candle