Writers 
People in the neighborhood knew Michael was a good person.
Michael was there to help anyone who needed it with their school fees. He would give money to a friend who needed it for transportation. When family members were having issues, they knew who to call.
Michael didn't say no very often.
He thought one of the most important things a person could do was help other people.
He had a lot of dreams when he was twenty. He planned to get more education, learn a useful skill, start a business, and save enough money to live a good life.
There was always someone who needed his help, though, whenever he got money.
His younger cousin had to pay school fees.
A friend wanted to start a small business but needed money to do so.
A family member needed money to pay for medical bills.
I had to help a friend pay her rent.
Michael kept giving.
He would smile and say, "I'll take care of myself later" whenever someone told him to save some money. This person needs me right now.
Years went by.
His friends made small steps forward in their lives over time.
One of them became an engineer. Someone else started a business that did well. Some learned professional skills and started their own businesses.
Michael, on the other hand, stayed pretty much where he was.
He still helped people, but he didn't have much to show for it.
He lost his job one day.
Michael had to get help for the first time.
He called some of the people he had helped in the past.
"I'm sorry, things are hard for me right now," one friend told him.
Someone else said they would call back but never did.
Someone stopped picking up the phone when he called.
Michael was shocked.
His room was empty, so he sat there and thought about his life.
He realized that he had neglected his own problems while working on other people's.
He had put off going to school for longer.
He had never learned how to do a job-related task.
He didn't have any real savings.
He didn't have any real investments.
He helped other people start businesses, but he couldn't start his own.
Michael had to make a tough choice that nite.
He was still going to help other people, but he wasn't going to ruin his own future in the process.
He signed up for a business class and started learning a new skill.
He began putting away a small portion of every dollar he earned.
He stopped using all of his time and money to try to impress people or solve problems that other people could handle on their own.
Investing in himself was the most important thing he did.
It wasn't simple.
He had almost nothing to work with.
However, things started to change after several years of hard work.
The new skill he learned opened up more doors for him. He finally started a small business, which helped him get back on his feet financially.
Michael was always kind and giving.
He was finally able to help others without giving up on himself, which made all the difference.
He knew that being kind is lovely, but that you don't have to ignore your own needs to be a good person.
It's important to help your family and friends. It's important to help people through hard times. On the other hand, you need to build your own life.
Learn. Save. Put money away. Learn new things. Improve your job. Watch out for your future.
You will always have to pour from an empty cup.
It's not always selfish to say, "I can't afford to do this right now." It is smart.
You should care about your future as much as you care about other people's.
