Ask yourself: What are the consequences if this doesn't get solved? Who’s going to suffer or be uncomfortable?
Shoshana Schwartz
Chesed is in our physical, spiritual, and emotional DNA. We want to make other people’s situations better, to improve their lives. We’re wired to scan for situations in which we can be helpful.
While we want to help others with their challenges and difficulties, we need to ensure that we don’t assume responsibility for those challenges. There’s a difference between helping someone carry his load and owning it.
Picture someone carrying a boulder. You can put your hands under the boulder to help support it without actually carrying it.
Owning other people’s issues gives us too much power and precludes humility. It saps our limited resources. It creates distance, fosters resentment, and sabotages relationships. It undermines people’s capabilities and reduces their sense of agency. It’s also exhausting.
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