A friend recently shared an amusing tale with me. A man fell into a well and was unable to get himself out. Another man came along, saw the first man’s predicament, and was so moved by it that he climbed down into the well to hold the man’s hand to comfort him—joining him in what appeared to be a hopeless situation. A third passer-by, however, took a more productive approach and got a rope to pull them out.

This story resonated with me. 

As a young child, I spent a great deal of time worrying about the suffering in the world and wanting to alleviate it. Injustice of any kind distressed me greatly. I often felt overwhelmed by the plight of the innocent and the vulnerable, including animals. Like the man who went down into the well to comfort his neighbor, I would often get into the well with others, figuratively speaking, by feeling responsible for rescuing them or fixing their problems. Yet, this often left me feeling anguished and helpless.