I want to address the concept of being in service.  Being in service is the process of using your God-given blessings, talents and gifts to alleviate someone’s suffering, assist another in the manifestation of a dream or the mastering of a goal or to just brighten a day. Being in Service is not the process of allowing someone to drain your resources – personally, professionally, financially, physically, mentally, and emotionally –or enabling someone to take advantage of you.How do you know the difference? Trust your gut, heed your intuition, listen to the whisper in your ear, feel the tap on your shoulder – or in my case the slap across the head. Why must you know the difference? If you allow another to drain your resources, take advantage of your blessings and gifts and exhaust you physically and mentally  - all in the spirit of giving or being in service –  you may not be prepared to be in service and on purpose for those who truly are in need of those blessings that you have to offer to the world. Over the past few months I have been involved in a personal relationship with a man who had a number of legal issues.  I handled one issue only for it to become greater than anticipated. One matter then became another. These were not “humanitarian issues” and I had no intention of working without compensation. He, like me, was a professional and I anticipated that the expenditure of professional service would be returned as I needed. Although this should have worked in theory, I failed to take into account the basic make-up of this person.  My hints for his assistance went unanswered, my requests were forgotten or ignored, and his promises, continually broken.  I prepared for him a gourmet meal of my services and he, in return, denied me a peanut butter sandwich.  The legal issues transitioned into our personal relationship. My time off was spent in endless discussions and debates over legal issues that were consuming his mind. The stress manifested for me in the form of headaches and stomach issues in his presence.  I had no rest from legal analysis.  I believe in the inexhaustible resource of the Universe and of God – but the body is an exhaustible resource. Over time, as a result of the disparity in the relationship, I became exhausted. I rationalized the imbalance by thinking that by my giving, I could teach him how to give. In retrospect, I only taught him how to take. And, it is up to God to determine the lessons, not me.I have received a number of similar e-mails over the past week.  In this challenging financial environment, many of you are truly being of service to another and alleviating suffering or assisting in the manifestation of a dream.  Others of you may be enabling someone to take advantage of you  - acting as a crutch, exhausting your blessings, talents and gifts and not allowing them to find their own.   I share with you the good, the bad and the ugly knowing that you may see yourself or someone else in my words. I get it right and I get it wrong.  We are all here to learn.  In the next sessions I will share with you what I could have done - should have done - to preserve my professional time, protect my physical and financial well-being and safeguard my self-esteem.

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