Used Up

"You use up everything you've got trying to give everybody what they want."

-- Nina Simone

The Delphic Oracle said, "Know thyself." Billy the Bard took it one step further with "This above all, to thine own self be true." And then Nina Simone completed the cycle with the above bon mot of wisdom.

Life is all about self. Not in a selfish sense, but in the sense of a starting point, a touchstone, an identity. Giving of yourself is fine -- right up to the point where you totally deplete yourself, and then you're no good to anybody. As they say during the safety announcements on the airplane -- "Put on your own mask first before assisting other passengers."

You can always find people who will want you to give endlessly, people who will take and take and take. And the better you become at what you do, the more they will want you to do it for them. It's OK. It's nice to be wanted. But remember you can just enjoy being wanted without having to do anything about it. You can nourish yourself on desire without giving into its demands. To do so is a type of psychological alchemy -- transforming the base metal weakness of others into personal, golden strength.

What you give is up to you. And it should be motivated not just by the needs or desires of others, but also by your own inner promptings, by the movements of soul and Spirit. For only you really know what you can afford to give, how much is healthy and loving, and where depletion and co-dependence set in.

Honor your body, honor your limits, honor your intuition. Most of all, honor your self. Do what you can do with ease and grace. Simply let the rest go.