This quote had a deep impact on my life at a certain stage of my life when I realized that if I want to avoid giving any kind of opportunity to my colleagues in the offices or my friends (in some cases relatives also) to disrespect me, I should NEVER ever ask even a minor favor of any kind from them, whether it is borrowing any kind of thing, or even an advice. If I am in an intense need of anything and there doesn’t seem to be any way out, I should know the opinion of only the selected few people in my life whom I trust the most, and have “tawakkal” on Allah (s.w.t). BUT after a colleague insists on doing a favor to me and doesn’t care about my resistance, then it becomes difficult for me to sleep unless I have returned the favor to that person in any way (equal in weightage), because only after doing that I am able to feel very light and satisfied.
BUT at times it becomes difficult to decide where to draw this line, with whom one can have “give an take” relation and with whom should one avoid, and to what extent one should have it, specially when one doesn’t have a clear idea of the future consequences of those favors from both sides. Questions like the following might bother us:
If a person is insisting to do me a favor of any kind, and I might not have a clear idea if I would be able to pay that person back (equally) in the near future, even though the person does not care and doesn’t expect anything in return. Such situations are a bit confusing. You don’t want to break the heart of a person who seems sincere with you and feels pleased in doing a favor to you and you also have no idea what such a favor might lead to. At times you might be in need of such favor, at times you don’t need it but it might make things easier for you.
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Whether it is calling anyone for dinner, or helping anyone in a project (by sharing experience), or asking for any kind of favor, how do you develop such a relationship and where do you draw the line ?**
I understand that it is easy for us to do good to others and forget about it, but here I am specifically asking about people who insist to be kind to you and you are not sure if you would be able to pay them back (in appropriate manner, that satisfies you) SPECIALLY when you might actually need a minor favor that might not harm that person much. BUT then it might make it easy for the person to look into your eyes and raise his voice whenever you comes across him next time, and might lead to your avoiding eye contact with that person and losing a bit of your confidence. Such situation one usually faces while dealing with one’s BOSS.