I'm one of those people that tends to only see the good that people do. I give others the benefit of the doubt, even when I know I'll regret it later. I stick my neck out for people who probably don't deserve it and I'm almost always aware of this fact.
It drives the people that are closest to me crazy. They don't understand why I put myself out there for people, who could care less about me. They see me giving my heart to people that will use and abuse it. I understand their frustration, but I won't apologize for it. I'm also not going to change it. This is the person I have decided to be.
I am there for people when I know they need it because I know how hard it is to ask for help. Every day, we carry this idea that we can accomplish everything we want to alone. When the times come when we realize that we can't, the hardest thing we have to do is ask for help. We feel vulnerable and feel like we have completely failed.
I know how hard it is to feel alone. I've experienced it first-hand way too many times. So, when someone comes to me and needs me, I will be there for them. I will do everything in my power to help. That's just who I am.
Sometimes, I get screwed over. In the not so rare occasion that someone uses me for their own selfish reasons, I muster up the courage and walk away. I leave, and whatever respect I had for that individual is probably lost forever. That person has shed the light on who they really are, and that's not the type of person I need to surround myself with.
I've slowly started to realize that I can't help everyone. I'm not superwomen and I never will be. Some people will always be selfish and will never fully appreciate when others make sacrifices for them. In all these cases, their actions only reflect upon them and have no reflection of the person I am.
Finding a generous person today is extremely rare, and I will not ever stop having the desire to help people. On the other hand, I will not stand and get burned. I will not sacrifice myself for another person who doesn't deserve and appreciate it.