Hey Friend,

Inspiration struck, so here I am writing this email to you.

My youngest son, Kashton's favorite TV series is a show called Monk. If you haven't seen it, it's about this detective who's wife is killed in an explosion, which then compounds his obsessive compulsive tendencies.

This results in him losing his badge, but being retained as a consultant for San Francisco PD, because of his elite perception and crime solving skills.

He notices everything, which is part of his disorder, but also, makes him the best detective you could find.

Whenever someone comments on his skills he replies with..

"It's a gift and a curse."

The reason this is on my brain today, is because I'm feeling both the gift and the curse of responsibility.

For quite some time now, I've done my best, to help everyone I can.

If something needs to be done, I'll do it.

If something needs to be learned, I'll learn it.

If something needs to be taught, I'll teach it.

This has turned me into someone that others seem to feel they can count on.

This is one of the greatest blessings of my life because it returns to me so much purpose, happiness, gratitude and meaning. (and yes, the money's pretty good too) ;-)

So truly, it's a gift.  

But it's also a curse.  

See, when you're someone others look to as reliable, responsible, a man (or woman) who can and will get the job done...

The number of people who look to you for help, seems to grow and grow and grow.

Napoleon Hill once wrote "The best reward for service rendered, is the ability to render more service."

See, It's a gift, and a curse!

🤦‍♂️

The curse comes, when occasionally, you feel like so many people and responsibilities are pulling on you from so many different directions, all at the same time...

Spouse, kids, friends, tenants, prospects, business associates,

...problems & opportunities to attend to both for yourself and others...

Every once in a while, it can feel like you're a rag doll that a group of kid's are fighting over, and you wonder if it's just gonna rip you a part.

:-)

So that's the curse.

I'm not writing this email to complain though Friend,

I'm writing you this email to let you know that even with the curse part, I still feel it's worth it, a thousand times over.  

Napoleon Hill was also a big fan of Ralph Waldo Emerson, and particularly, his essay called Compensation.

In this essay, the strange opposites of the universe and life are compared, contrasted and analyzed, in an effort to extract a philosophical truth we can count on.

In, out, up, down, sunrise, sunset, positive, negative, high tide, low tide, the beat of the heart and flow of the blood...

In breath, out breath...

Light, dark, sun, moon... on and on and on...

Nature is FILLED with these contrasts.

Emerson's point is that nothing good in life, comes without a price.

There seems to be a give and take balance to things.

The Yin to the Yang, the Yang to the Yin.

If you want to get, you must be willing to give.

Like the sacrifice principle in the Bible.

All worthwhile things in life, seem to come with a price.

No seed, no tree.

No work, no reward.

The curse of responsibility is the price of being someone that others can count on.

One price of not becoming that person, is that we'll not be looked upon by others as valuable, and since money comes from people, that choice often leaves us without financial resources.

(This could be the smallest of the prices associated with living less than we can, btw)

Sacrifice in the spring, harvest in the fall.

Sleep in the spring, starve in winter.

See the cost benefit tradeoff in each of those equations Friend?

Anyway, I just want to re-iterate... Having walked a good chunk of the road less traveled... with more to go...

And experienced the 'downsides' of pouring your heart into serving as many people as you can... as much as you can... for as long as you can...

The view from this end of the journey is beautiful, and the rewards FAR outweigh the 'Ragdoll syndrome' that pops up every once in a while.

I realize I'm probably preaching to the choir, sending you this message today Friend, because the fact that you're on my list probably means you already made the decision, long ago, to rise to each occasion with everything God gave you to meet it...

But like I heard at an event one time..

'Ya preach to the choir because they're the one's with the butts in the seats.' :-)

Carry on,

Paul Hutchings