Most of us like to help others—at least the the ones we can pick and choose.
We need to help well. Not that we’re going to help perfectly, but helping well should be our goal. Otherwise, are we truly helping? Helping well doesn’t start with the helping portion but the well portion. We help well when we are well. In order to be helpful, we need to commit to being healthy—and that’s an ongoing commitment.
When helping others, we need to be aware of and acknowledge our own tendencies, emotions, and responses. Helping others involves empathy and assisting them to become authentically aware of what’s happening, how they’re responding to it, and what coping strategies might be best in the situation. And that’s one of the reasons it’s essential to be aware of our own. If not, we end up helping ourselves more than others.
Good helpfulness is always humble, never selfish.
Don’t let yourself get in the way of your help.