As a social work major, I have taken classes in psychology that have taught me about different personalities and why people act a certain way. Throughout the years, I've learned that my personality is very different from others. Although I'm outgoing and crazy at times, I have a heart for helping others and am very compassionate towards those who need help or just an ear to listen. One of my favorite things to do in life is to help and give advice to those who feel like they're lost or have no one to turn to. Helping people is my calling; it's what I was made to do.
In that calling, though, I've also realized that I tend to carry the burdens of those who open up to me. When someone vents to me and confides in me about a problem, the problem then becomes mine. I do all that I can to help them get through it and wish, with all that is in me, that I could fix it for them. When others hurt, I hurt with them and when others break, I feel like a part of me breaks with them.
I know that it's not my job to fix the problems of other people, but all of me wishes that I could. I've realized that I need to learn to listen to people and be there for them, as someone who loves them, but not necessarily carry all of their burdens for them. I've learned the hard way that it's a difficult job trying to keep my own life in check when I have so many other people's lives on my shoulders. I've come to the realization that I'm not God and that I can't carry what isn't meant for me to carry. I can listen to everyone and give advice and help them in any way I can and pray, but that's where it stops. I need to let go of the burdens and realize that I'm not called to carry anything that's not mine. My heart can go out to those who are suffering and need a friend, and I can be a friend, but I can't allow myself to be brought down. I don't have enough strength to carry the world on my shoulders.
Many times I feel myself become empty of any advice to give to people. I feel drained and like the life has been sucked out of me, and that's not how I should be. Life is too short to carry burdens that can't be changed by man.
Moral of the story: As much as you may want to fix someone's problems and take someone's problems away from them, you can't. All you can do is be there for them, listen to them, pray for them, lift them up and try your hardest to encourage and uplift them. It's not YOUR job to fix someone's problem.