Blood Is NOT Thicker Than Water
75. Blood is NOT thicker than water.
The statement should read, “Blood is way thicker than water.” Meaning in many cases it can be like molasses and is another area that seems to stunt personal growth when allowed to. As mentioned in Tool 3, just as not letting go of an ex or divorce can be a major obstacle/roadblock to personal growth, a very close second is being held hostage by family members holding the blood comment over your head.
Would you have their back for a murder? No. Would you have their back for theft? Probably not. Where is the line drawn? Or do we just keep fixing the poor choices they make over and over again. I think you get the picture. I’ve noticed that the people who go to the “blood is thicker than water” card are usually family members who need your help to get them out of some mess they got themselves into.
The belief that you must be a martyr for family members is a joke. Keep in mind I am not saying family is not important. I am not saying to not help family members. I am saying family members should be a PART of your life, not your ENTIRE life.
I often find that people spend little time working on their own lives because they are always busy working on the lives of members of their family. If you will apply this Tool, you will start to understand you cannot let family become a roadblock to your success. You are no more obligated to help out a brother or sister than you are a good friend.
You may come to find that you are different from some family members. You may find that your aspirations differ from theirs and that your moral standards do not parallel theirs. Tool 66 states, “Become more selfish.” When you decide to shed the belief that blood is thicker than water, you are going to be called selfish by some family members. Remember, people do this to drag you down to their level of unhappiness. If you concentrate on yourself a little more and become more selective as to how you help family members, you will in turn improve yourself.
Therefore, by soaring to these new levels of personal highs, your ability to be of assistance to family members in need will be vastly improved. Do not compromise yourself when the line you draw becomes blurred because it has been disguised in the name of family. Family can come first, when the members who need help are also willing to help themselves.