Some can be found on the same corner, day after day, at the exact same time — kind of like…a job, and a fair amount of the time, it’s a young able bodied person who could work just as hard as you do if they wanted to. If you’re cynical to this practice, like I am, seeing them probably evokes a bit of anger or annoyance in you.
But there are also those of us who can never tell a panhandler, “No”. Sometimes panhandlers are relentless in begging for money, and when you feel sorry for them, you just cave in and pay ‘em. Even when you know they’ll likely use the money for drugs or you consider the fact that they’ve probably already got a pocket full of dough because dozens of sympathetic people before you donated to their Styrofoam cup fund too, you still give them your last few dollars.
These are the people who panhandle your money, but have you ever known someone who panhandles your emotions or your energy?
Yep. You read that right.
You might have emotional panhandlers in your life. People who stand around with their emotional cup out, taking and taking and taking from you without the slightest care or concern for you or your well being. They drain you of your energy and leave you stressed out with barely enough of what you need to get by.
Can you think of anyone like that in your life? If not, good. If so, not good.
Here in downtown Houston, there are tons of panhandlers who beg for money. A quick walk down Main Street and you’ll get asked for change on every corner. It’s so prevalent that the city put signs up throughout downtown that say, “It’s okay to say no to panhandlers.”
I’m putting that sign up now for you right now. It’s okay to say no to emotional panhandlers. If you want to be successful, you’re going to have to learn to say no.
If you want to pursue what you’re passionate about and live a life of purpose and fulfillment, your mindset and your energy are the first things you need to protect. They’re on the front lines for you every day and you’ll have plenty of other things demanding that energy. You simply can’t afford to keep giving it away as if it’s loose change in your center console.
So if you know someone who is an emotional panhandler, begging for your attention and taking from you with no desire for holding themselves accountable, it’s time to stop giving. Keep your energy for you. Keep it so that you can use it to build. Keep it so that you can grow, and never ever forget that it’s okay to tell an emotional panhandler no.