'God helps those who help themselves'

Well, for starters, he said no such thing. But......Paul said in 2 Thessalonians (3:10)"… If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.”

Now. Whats that go to do with me? It's about misinterpretation (I don't think I ever used that word before). You all have encountered that before. Maybe just not thought about it as hard as I have been recently.

OK. I need to get you on the right track, just to set the pace. Why choose a biblical misquote? Why not one of the many thousands(?) of other inspirational, motivational (mis)quotes? Because this is about me offering and giving help to others, specifically those who ask me for help with work related issues.

This is not a moan to them nor a call for them to stop. Its about me managing my priorities. Being focused on what I want to be doing.

Its does not help that I really enjoy helping others through the use of my knowledge, or my way of looking at a giving task. Now I'm not saying that I know something about everything, just that the stuff I do know, I really enjoy knowing it and am constantly trying to use it, to the point of distraction. everything else just looks grey in comparison. Also that sometimes the way I look at tasks, can often lend the view to non related topics. You still with me?

Because I enjoy helping others, I've found they often, take advantage of me, trying to get me inspired to help them, by way of the lure of the 'fabled carrot'. After all, from my perspective, having a hobby that also happens to be my job, makes it easier to undertake a troublesome task.

Well, do they take advantage of me? Perhaps I exploit myself. By exploit I'm describing being distracted from my own goals without any reward. Unfortunately, making others happy or helping them with their problems, knowing that I've actually contributed to them moving forward makes me feel rewarded. Here's the 'bullet'. It don't pay the bills.

To be distracted with things which fall under the guise of work around the house, if only I could be. It wouldn't really matter that there was no financial gain only expenditure, because the fruits are enjoyable by more than me. They are intrinsic things. They just do not appear as rewarding to me.

I'm going to stop 'doing things for free'. Unless there is a direct connection to what I want to be doing moving forward with either learning or having the results usable in my own projects, I have to be able to say no. I cannot try to join the dream of someone else. I have to be focused on what I want to be doing. Not slowing me down and distracting me. Otherwise, 'In God we trust'..the rest pay cash.

More later this week.

DK