How to become Broke by Being Too Helpful

Have you ever experienced carrying the financial burden of others? You're not the one who benefited from the debt but you're the one fixing it.

Are you stressed because of it?

In my culture, we are used to helping others when we can. But there's a really thin line between being helpful and being too helpful that it put you in a bad position.

How will you know if you're being too helpful?

You're loaning so that you can have others borrow it from you.
You're paying the debts of others.
You can hardly say no.
You're still giving even when you no longer have some for yourself.

Why are there people who are too helpful?

Indulgence

This is the hardest to pay. This is the kind of debt which has no end points. You won't even know whether you have fully paid for it or not. My only question for people experiencing this is: when will it end?

Can't Say 'No'

All you can say is YES! You can hardly say no to anyone asking for a favor. You're afraid of being judged for not helping a friend in the time they needed it the most. And to avoid that, you resort to just giving them even when you don't want to.

You are suffering for other people's pleasure.

Giving 'TOO MUCH'

It's never bad to help, as long as you don't go over your means. Look, I emphasized the word TOO. Why is that?

Sometimes, we give way beyond our capacity because we think that it's the only way to help. But it's not.

Remember the old proverb that says, "give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

It means that we should not allow them to get used to just receiving. Instead, give them advice, teach, or educate them on how to succeed to get them motivated and to do the same thing and produced their own bread and butter.

We Forget Our Personal Needs

You want to save but you're lending it to others.
You want to invest but you already lent it to others.
You want to start a business but you don't have cash anymore.

A lot of opportunities will be lost if you continue to go all out to the needs of others. Set your priorities first and just offer what you can without sacrificing your finances.

Am I being selfish?

Absolutely not. We are all given a chance to find a job and look for side income. Allow them to learn on their own.

Stressful Life

You can hardly sleep at night.
You know that there are lots of deductions in your salary.
You don't even know how to face those you owe in debt.

The ending? You'll live a very unproductive and stressful life.

Again, it's not bad to help and lend. AS LONG AS you don't give beyond what you cannot.