When Doing the Right Thing Doesn’t Feel Good (But You Do It Anyway)

I’ve always believed in helping where I can. Whether it’s connecting someone to an opportunity 🤝, offering advice 💡, or simply opening a door 🚪 they might not have known existed, I operate from a place of generosity and integrity. It’s how I was raised. It’s how I coached. And it’s how I do business.

But what happens when you pour your time, energy, and heart ❤️ into helping someone—and they don’t acknowledge it? No thank you. No follow-up. No loop closed. Just… silence.

It stings. 💔

Most of us who lead or coach from a service mindset have been there. You do something to support someone—often going above and beyond—and there’s an unspoken understanding that it’s not just a favor, it’s an investment. In them. In their journey. In the relationship.

And then you find out through someone else, or see something posted online 📲, or simply never hear from them again.

That sting? It’s real. 😔 But so is the question: What do we do with that disappointment? 🤔

When you’re in the business of helping people—whether you’re a coach 🎾, a leader 👩‍💼, a teacher 📚, or just someone who leads with heart 💕—this is the paradox we face. We give with no guarantees. We invest with no certainty of return. We hope people will match our integrity, and sometimes they do. But sometimes… they don’t.

So where’s the line? When does generosity become self-sacrifice? When does helping become enabling? And how do we keep giving without becoming jaded?

Here’s what I’ve come to believe:

1️⃣ Not every seed you plant will bloom the way you hoped. 🌸

But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t worth planting. Sometimes your impact shows up in ways you never see. Sometimes your name gets passed along quietly. Sometimes your influence lives in the lessons they carry forward—even if they never say it out loud.

2️⃣ Expectations without boundaries lead to resentment. 🛑

It’s OK to have clear agreements. To say, “If I do this, I’d appreciate that.” Not as a condition of kindness, but as a mutual respect for time and energy. Next time, I’ll be clearer. Wiser. Still generous—but with structure.

3️⃣ You either act from your values or you don’t. 🌟

And my values don’t change based on how people respond. I believe in helping people. I believe in doing the right thing, even when no one’s watching. That doesn’t mean I won’t feel disappointed—but it does mean I can sleep at night. 🛌

And I’ll keep showing up. I’ll keep helping. And, I’ll also keep learning. 🚀