Why is accepting service sometimes so hard, but it is easier to go help someone out? Should I have a balance? There is something called the Goldilock principle, which is, what is the just right amount, not too much and not too little. Is there a ratio of giving service to receiving service I need to maintain? How do I accept service and not me needy? I have been thinking about this lately beginning this blog.

American Cultural Influence?

My initial thought is it because of our American culture? Theodore Roosevelt once advised that we need to pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps. One can physically accomplish this task, but the idea has stuck in our American “mythology.” The other factor is the “American dream” to make it big, where we idealize the people that went “all in” on a new business idea. There are many myths but most the entrepreneurs had help along the way. Then I move onto my religious upbringing that focuses on self-reliance. The idea is you try to fix it yourself, then you work with your own family, and then you go to the church and finally the government. They teach keeping food storage, spending responsibly and saving money for rainy day funds. Then I have my family culture which is to keep a stiff upper lip and focus service of others before oneself. I have come to the conclusion that most likely it is a combination of all three American culture, family culture, sprinkled with my religious upbringing.

What is the Goldilocks principle for service?

How does one balance this out? If you don’t ever accept service are you not allowing your friends to the get the blessings of that service? My current thought is like a bank account, I should build more equity than loans. It may not be the best analogy but as long as we have the more equity than loans, people will be willing to lean in and help when I need it.

What are your ways of balancing?

~Bear