The Nurturing Woman By Bethany Clarie So I was thinking today about how my life has become a life of pleasing others. I dont know how it ended up this way. It just happened where my life has literally become soley about other people. I grew up thinking about helping people and how lovely it would be. "No" was not ever apart of my vocabulary. I thought that if I did not do for others that they would be me mad at me. This caused alot of problems for me. Now I look back at my life and realise that I have done so much for others and totally neglected myself. So lets fastforward to now. Well I am writing this to say that their is life after being a helpaholic. Yes I coined this phrase, because I realised that I had recieved a fix off of people needing me. Helping people can just be apart of your anatomy. If no one needs you, you may feel incomplete. Now dont get me wrong, helping people is good and fulfilling. You just have to know a

balance. Thats what Im going through right now. I do what I can. No more no less. When you get older, you realise your limits. So these are some tips on how to stay out of the HELPING ABYSS. 1. Before you agree to help someone learn the whole reaon on why they are in that circumstance. 2. Have a cut off time: this means that you tell the person how long you are able to help them out. 3. Dont neglect yourself. 4. Take a break: Remember that you have a life and responsibilities to yourself. 5. When all else fails, try to get help with the task at hand. Stop trying to do everything yourself. So these are the things that can happen if you do not take care of yourself. 1. You will begin to resent the person that you are helping. 2. You will begin to lose happiness in your life. 3. You will become sick emotionally, physically and spiritually. 4. Your Personal life will fail Dont let these things happen to you. Get your life back. By all means help that person, but dont help yourself into misery. It starts with you.