I know what you're thinking how could not being good to everyone possibly be wisdom it sounds almost wrong doesn't it we've been told all our lives that kindness is a virtue that helping others is the right thing to do but what if I told you that being good to everyone without exception could actually be harming you what if in trying to be a source of light for others you were unknowingly extinguishing your own don't be good to everyone buddh wisdom this phrase alone might feel unsettling even counterintuitive but the truth behind it is something few
people truly understand in Buddhism wisdom is not about blind generosity or pleasing everyone around you it's about Clarity discernment and knowing when your kindness is being misused the question is how do you know when to draw the line if you've ever felt drained by people who take advantage of your kindness if you've ever wondered why some of your generosity seems to backfire then you need to hear what I'm about to share stay with me because throughout this video I'll guide you through the deeper meaning behind this principle by the end you'll see why not being
good to everyone isn't cruelty it's wisdom the difference between compassion and foolish generosity I used to believe that kindness was an unlimited resource something to be given freely to anyone who who asked after all wasn't that what being a good person meant but over time I began to see how my generosity was sometimes misplaced I would give my time my energy and my efforts to people who took without giving anything in return I convinced myself that I was doing the right thing that I was fulfilling my moral duty but deep down I started to feel
drained that's when I realized not all kindness is wise compassion is at the heart of Buddhist wisdom but it does not mean blind generosity it is not about pouring ourselves out until we have nothing left when we give without discernment we do more than just harm ourselves we allow others to take advantage of our Good Will some people mistake kindness for weakness believing that if we say yes once we will say yes forever the problem is when kindness is given without awareness it loses its true power it becomes an obligation rather than a gift and
that is when it ceases to be genuine the idea that we must be good to everyone is rooted in Social conditioning from childhood we are taught to share to help to give without expecting anything in return while these lessons are valuable they fail to teach us one crucial thing not everyone deserves what we offer Buddhism teaches that wisdom and compassion must go handin hand without wisdom compassion can turn into self-sacrifice and without compassion wisdom can become cold and detached the key is finding the balance imagine a farmer with a basket full of seeds if he
throws his seeds onto Barren land nothing will grow no matter how much he hopes otherwise but if he plants them in fertile soil they will flourish the same applies to kindness some people are like fertile soil they take what is given and use it to grow others are like Barren land no matter how much we give nothing changes this is why discernment is necessary I've met people who would take as much as I was willing to give never once considering how their actions affected me I used to think that if I just gave a little
more they would change but they didn't the more I gave the more they expected it was only when I started being selective with my kindness that I began to see a difference when I set boundaries when I chose where to invest my energy I saw that my kindness had greater impact Buddhism teaches that true generosity comes from a place of inner strength not exhaustion if giving leaves us feeling depleted we are not practicing compassion we are allowing ourselves to be drained the purpose of kindness is not to please everyone but to create genuine connection if
our generosity is not being received with respect we must learn to redirect it where it can truly make a difference to do this we must observe we must ask ourselves is my kindness helping or is it enabling am I giving from a place of Love or out of fear and obligation when we reflect in this way we start to see the truth not everyone values what we offer and that is not our fault our responsibility is not to be good to everyone it is to be good wisely kindness when given with awareness is one of
the most powerful forces in the world but when it is given blindly it becomes self-destruction Buddhism does not ask us to stop being compassionate it asks us to be mindful of where we place our energy and when we learn this we stop wasting our kindness on those who do not appreciate it and start investing it where it truly matters but here's the unsettling question how do you know when your kindness is no longer kindness but a chain keeping you trapped at what point does generosity turn into something that harms both you and the person receiving
it when kindness becomes self-destructive at first I never questioned my kindness it felt like a duty something I had to give freely without limits but over time I began to notice a pattern the more I gave the more some people expected it wasn't gratitude I received in return it was entitlement no matter how much effort I put in it was never enough instead of feeling fulfilled I felt exhausted that's when I realized something crucial kindness when given Without Limits can become self-destructive there were moments when I thought I was helping but in reality I was
enabling I would give advice to people who never followed it yet they kept coming back for more I would lend a hand to those who never tried to stand on their own I assumed my kindness would Inspire change but instead it created dependency and the worst part I felt guilty when I wanted to stop I had conditioned myself to believe that saying no was selfish Buddhism teaches that true compassion is not about making others comfortable it is about guiding them toward growth if our kindness prevents someone from learning their own lessons then it is not
kindness at all there is a difference between helping someone and carrying them one leads to empowerment the other leads to stagnation when I started seeing this I understood that I had to change the way I approached generosity one of the most challenging things I had to accept was that some people do not want to grow they do not seek help to improve they seek help to avoid responsibility they mistake generosity for obligation believing that if you have given once you must always give I struggled with this realization but the more I observed the clearer it
became not everyone values what is given freely used to think that kindness meant being there for everyone no matter the cost but kindness should not come at the expense of our own well-being Buddhism teaches that balance is the key to everything if giving depletes us then we are not practicing wisdom we must ask ourselves am I giving because I want to or because I feel I have to that question changed everything for me when we feel obligated to give it is not true generosity it is submission if our kindness is constantly taken for granted we
must recognize that and adjust accordingly true compassion includes the ability to say no when necessary if someone repeatedly takes without appreciation it is a sign that our energy is being wasted learning to step back was difficult At first I felt guilty I wondered if I was being too harsh too unkind but over time I saw the truth when I stopped giving to those who only took I had more energy for those who truly valued my help my kindness became more meaningful because it was no longer being drained by those who misused it Buddhism does not
teach us to stop being good it teaches us to be good where it matters if our kindness is leading to self-destruction we must recognize that it is no longer kindness it is self- neglect and true wisdom lies in knowing the difference the importance of boundaries in spiritual growth for a long time I believed that setting boundaries was selfish I thought that if someone needed me it was my responsibility to be there no matter the cost I convinced myself that kindness meant always saying yes always being available But as time passed I started to feel overwhelmed
my energy was constantly drained my mind was restless and I realized that something needed to change that's when I began to understand the importance of boundaries not just for my well-being but for my spiritual growth Buddhism teaches that balance is essential to a peaceful life if we give endlessly without protecting our own energy we lose ourselves in the process boundaries are not walls that separate us from others they are guidelines that allow us to give without destroying ourselves when we set boundaries we are not rejecting people we are making sure that our kindness comes from
a place of strength not exhaustion this shift in perspective was life-changing for me I used to believe that people would respect my kindness simply because it was given freely but I learned the hard way that not everyone values what is easily accessible some people take without hesitation assuming that if you offer it means you have an endless supply but kindness like any resource must be managed wisely if we keep giving Without Limits we eventually have nothing left to give and when we reach that point we are no longer helping anyone not even ourselves one of
the greatest misconceptions about spirituality is that it means being open and available to everyone at all times but even Buddhist monks who dedicate their lives to comp passion practice Solitude and meditation they understand that to serve others they must first cultivate their own inner peace if we do not protect our own energy we risk becoming too exhausted to truly help those who need us most I started setting small boundaries at first I stopped saying yes to every request I allowed myself to step away when I felt drained I reminded myself that my time and energy
energy were valuable and that it was not my duty to give endlessly At first I felt guilty I worried that I was letting people down but then something interesting happened those who truly respected me understood they did not push back they did not demand more the only people who were upset were the ones who had been taking advantage of my kindness all along this was a powerful realization when we set boundaries the right people will respect them the wrong people will resist and in that resistance we see the truth who values us and who only
values what we can give Buddhism teaches that Clarity comes when we let go of attachment and this applies to relationships as well if someone only appreciates us when we are constantly giving then their connection to us is conditional boundaries do not mean we stop helping others they mean we help with awareness they allow us to be generous without being used kind without being manipulated and compassionate without sacrificing our own well-being when I embraced this I found that my kindness became more meaningful I was no longer giving out of guilt or obligation I was giving because
I chose to and that made all the difference spiritual growth requires balance without boundaries we lose our ability to focus on what truly matters if we want to continue being a source of light for others we must first make sure that our own flame is protected that is not selfishness that is wisdom knowing who deserves your kindness not everyone deserves your kindness at first that might sound harsh even unkind I used to struggle with this idea I wanted to believe that kindness should be given freely to all without hesitation or question but life taught me
otherwise not because people are inherently bad but because not everyone values or respects the kindness they receive and if we fail to recognize that we risk wasting our energy on those who only take without giving anything in return Buddhist wisdom teaches us to practice discernment we are not meant to be kind to everyone blindly we are meant to be kind where it creates creates Harmony growth and understanding this means observing how our kindness is received some people appreciate it and their gratitude fuels a cycle of positivity others take advantage expecting more without ever acknowledging what
has already been given the difference lies in their intentions I once had a friend who always needed help at first I was happy to be there I offered advice emotional support even financial assistance when they were struggling but over time I noticed a pattern no matter how much I gave they never made an effort to improve their situation they expected me to always be available yet they never showed appreciation and when I finally hesitated to help they accused me of being selfish that was when I realized I was not helping I was enabling this is
the danger of misplaced kindness it is not our duty to fix people who refuse to take responsibility for their own lives true compassion is not about making others comfortable in their dysfunction it is about guiding them toward growth and sometimes the best way to help someone is to step back and allow them to learn their own lessons how do we recognize who deserves our kindness we observe if someone expresses gratitude if they make an effort to improve if they respect our time and energy they are worth investing in but if someone constantly demands without appreciation
if they repeat the same mistakes without learning if they only reach out when they need something then it is time to reassess Buddhism teaches that kindness should be like water flowing where it nourishes not where it is wasted if we keep pouring into empty vessels we will eventually run dry but if we direct our our kindness toward those who truly value it we create something meaningful growth healing and connection choosing where to place our kindness does not make us unkind it makes us wise it allows us to protect our energy while still being a Force
for good in the world when we practice mindful generosity we give in a way that uplifts both ourselves and those who truly deserve it the right people will never take your kindness for granted and once you understand that you will never again feel guilty for choosing where to invest your energy but where is the line between kindness and self- betrayal how do you know when your giving is no longer an act of compassion but a silent surrender of your own needs the balance between selflessness and self respect for a long time I thought selflessness meant
giving Without Limits always putting others before myself and never prioritizing my own needs I believed that if I wasn't constantly available I was failing in kindness but over time I began to realize that selflessness when taken too far turns into self- neglect and what I thought was compassion was actually a slow erosion of my own well-being that's when I had to confront an uncomfortable truth self-respect is just as important as generosity Buddhism teaches that everything must exist in Balance if we give endlessly without nurturing ourselves we lose the ability to give meaningfully selflessness does not
mean allowing others to drain us it means offering what we can when we can without harming ourselves in the process true generosity does not come from guilt or obligation it comes from a place of strength when we ignore our own needs for the sake of others we are not being truly kind we are allowing ourselves to be used I struggled with this realization I worried that if I started prioritizing myself I would become selfish but the more I reflected the clearer it became self-respect and selflessness are not opposites they support each other when we respect
ourselves we set healthy limits we give from a place of genuine compass passion not exhaustion we ensure that our kindness remains meaningful not forced and in doing so we build relationships based on mutual appreciation rather than one-sided sacrifice one of the hardest lessons I had to learn was that not everyone will respect the balance between giving and taking some people believe that if you are kind you must always say yes they assume that generosity means unlimited access to your time energy and efforts and when you finally set a boundary they act as if you have
betrayed them this is where self-respect becomes essential Buddhism teaches that we must be mindful of our own needs not just the needs of others if kindness is leaving you drained it is no longer kindness it is self-sacrifice I used to be afraid of disappointing people I thought that if I said no I would be seen as uncaring but I learned that saying no does not mean you are cruel it means you understand your limits it means you recognize when your kindness is being misused and most importantly it means you value yourself enough to protect your
energy the right people will understand this the wrong people will resist it and in that resistance you will see the truth about who values you and who only values what you can give there is a beautiful lesson in Buddhism that says says you cannot serve others from an empty cup if we want to be truly compassionate we must first take care of ourselves if we are depleted exhausted and resentful what we offer to others is no longer pure it is tinged with frustration and fatigue but when we maintain our own well-being we give with a
full heart our kindness is stronger more impactful and more genuine true selflessness is not about abandoning ourselves for the sake of others it is about finding the balance where we can be generous without losing ourselves it is about giving because we want to not because we feel we have to and once we understand this we stop feeling guilty for protecting our peace the world does not need people who give until they are broken it needs people who give wisely who offer kindness where it matters and who respect themselves enough to know their limits that is
not selfishness that is wisdom how attachment to approval creates suffering for a long time I measured my worth by how much I could give to others I felt a deep need to be liked to be seen as kind to be someone people could rely on I thought that if I was always available always saying yes I would be valued and appreciated but what I didn't realize was that this constant need for approval was creating suffering not just for me but for those around me as well instead of acting from genuine kindness I was acting from
fear fear of rejection fear of disappointing others fear of not being enough Buddhism teaches that attachment is the root of suffering and one of the strongest attachments we develop is the need for external validation we want to be seen as good as helpful as generous we want want people to acknowledge our kindness to appreciate our sacrifices but when our sense of worth depends on how others see us we become trapped our happiness is no longer in our own hands it is at the mercy of others opinions and that is a dangerous place to be I
used to struggle with saying no if someone needed help I felt obligated to step in even if I was exhausted if someone made a request I felt guilty even considering turning it down but over time I started to realize something the more I gave the more some people expected it wasn't that they valued me it was that they had grown accustomed to my endless availability and when I finally started setting boundaries I saw the truth those who truly respected me understood but those who only valued what I could give became resentful this is the Trap
of seeking approval when we act out of a desire to be liked we do not give freely we give conditionally even if we don't realize it we hope that our kindness will be repaid with appreciation with love with validation but when that validation does not come we feel used unappreciated even resentful and that is when we start to suffer true generosity comes without expectation it comes from a place of inner strength not a need for recognition Buddhism teaches that to be truly at peace we must detach from the need for approval this does not mean
we become indifferent or unkind it means we act with authenticity we give because we choose to not because we want something in return we help when it feels right not because we are afraid of what will happen if we say no and most importantly we learn to find our value from within rather than from how others perceive us letting go of attachment to approval is difficult at first it feels like a loss like we are giving up a part of ourselves but over time it becomes liberating we start making decisions based on wisdom rather than
fear we no longer feel trapped by the expectations of others we realize that our worth is not determined by how much we give but by who we are and that is when we finally find Freedom I used to believe that if I stopped seeking approval I would become cold detached but the opposite happened when I let go of the need to please everyone my kindness became more genuine I no longer gave out of guilt I gave because I truly wanted to and because of that my kindness became stronger more meaningful I was no longer trying
to prove anything I was simp simply being myself when we release the need for approval we stop feeling guilty for setting boundaries we stop fearing rejection we stop allowing others to Define our worth and in doing so we finally find the peace that Buddhism speaks of the peace that comes from within unshaken by the opinions of others but what if saying yes isn't always an act of kindness what if in your effort to help you are unknowingly keeping someone dependent preventing them from growing why saying no can be an act of wisdom saying no use
to feel impossible for me every time someone asked for help I felt an automatic sense of obligation I feared that if I turned them down they would think I was unkind that I was selfish but over time I began to realize something important saying no is not a rejection of others it is an act of wisdom it is a way of protecting our energy our time and our well-being and sometimes saying no is the kindest thing we can do Buddhism teaches that wisdom is knowing when to act and when to step back it's not about
doing what pleases others it's about doing what is right and sometimes the right thing is to set a boundary there are people who will take as much as you are willing to give not because they are evil but because they are accustomed to receiving if you always say yes they will never learn to respect your limits they will never learn to stand on their own and in trying to help them you may actually be holding them back I used to think that refusing someone's request was an act of Cruelty but then I realized that always
saying yes was an act of self- betrayal every time I agreed to something that drained me I was choosing others over myself and that was not kindness that was neglect true kindness includes protecting our own well-being if we do not care for ourselves we cannot truly care for others there is a Buddhist story about a man who tries to save a drowning scorpion each time he reaches into the water the scorpion stings him after several attempts a passerby asks why do you keep trying to save it when it keeps hurting you the man replies because
it is in my nature to help but the lesson is clear sometimes helping others can harm us and in those moments wisdom lies in knowing when to stop saying no does not mean you do not care it does not mean you are unkind it means you recognize that not every request is your responsibility it means you understand that your energy is valuable and must be protected the people who truly care about you will understand and respect your boundaries the ones who do not respect them were only interested in what you could provide learning to say
no was one of the hardest things I ever did but it also freed me it allowed me to focus my energy on what truly mattered it allowed me to be more present for the people who genuinely valued my help and most importantly it taught me that my worth was not measured by how much I could do for others it was measured by who I was even when I chose to say no Buddhism does not teach us to abandon kindness it teaches us to be kind wisely and sometimes the wisest thing we can do is refuse
to give when it harms us saying no is not a failure of compassion it is an act of self-respect and when we understand that we no longer fear it protecting your energy without feeling guilty for a long time I believed that if I had the ability to help someone I had to do it I thought that my energy my time and my kindness should always be available to others but as the years passed I started feeling drained no matter how much I gave there was always someone who needed more I started questioning whether kindness should
have limits and then I realized something lifechanging protecting my energy was not selfish it was necessary Buddhism teaches that balance is key to a peaceful life just as we must care for others we must also care for ourselves if we allow ourselves to be depleted we are no longer able to give meaningfully yet many of us struggle with guilt when we try to set limits we worry that we are being unkind that we are abandoning others but the truth is when we protect our energy we become better more present and more compassionate people I used
to say yes yes to everything if someone needed my help I would drop everything no matter how exhausted I was but I started noticing something some people never gave back they took without appreciation without awareness of the toll it was taking on me and I let them because I was too afraid to say no I thought that if I set boundaries I would lose relationships but what I didn't realize was that the only relationships I would lose were the ones that were based on my endless giving guilt is what keeps many of us trapped in
this cycle we feel that if we step back we are betraying our values but Buddhism teaches that true generosity comes from a place of strength not obligation if giving leaves us feeling exhausted and resentful it is no longer an act of kindness it is a sign that our boundaries have been crossed and when that happens we we must learn to reclaim our energy there is a Buddhist lesson that says you yourself as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection yet we often forget this we treat others with kindness but fail
to extend the same kindness to ourselves we tell ourselves that protecting our peace is selfish but in reality it allows us to be more present for the people who truly matter when we prioritize our well-being we no longer waste energy on those who do not value it I started making small changes I stopped overe explaining when I set boundaries I reminded myself that I did not need to justify my need for rest I let go of the idea that I had to be constantly available to prove my worth and as I did something incredible happened
my life became lighter I stopped feeling weighed down by other people's expectations I felt more in control more at peace and the people who truly cared about me they understood they respected my limits because they valued me not just what I could give protecting your energy does not mean shutting people out it does not mean becoming cold or unkind it means choosing where to invest your time your heart and your effort it means recognizing that your energy is sacred and should only be given where it is valued when you release the guilt you will find
that your kindness becomes stronger your relationships become healthier and your inner peace deepens the world will always demand more of you but you are not required to give until you are empty Buddhism teaches us to be mindful of where we place our energy when we learn to protect it without guilt we finally understand the true meaning of balance applying this wisdom to your life understanding these principles is one thing living by them is another it takes time to unlearn the habit of overgiving and replace it with mindful generosity but once we do everything changes we
stop wasting energy on those who take us for granted and we start giving where it truly matters Buddhism teaches that every action should come from a place of wisdom that means asking ourselves am I giving out of choice or out of obligation is my kindness helping or enabling when we reflect on these questions we begin to see the truth not everyone deserves unlimited access to our energy and setting boundaries does not make us unkind it makes us wise at first setting limits may feel uncomfortable some will resist try to guilt us or make us question
our choices but here's the truth people who genuinely respect us will understand our need for balance those who don't were never valuing us only what we could provide letting go of overgiving is not about becoming selfish it's about finding peace when we protect our energy we give with more presence more meaning and more authenticity and that is the kind of kindness that truly lasts oh