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Not my circus, not my monkeys

We live in a world where everyone blames everyone else and then makes rules to turn this world into a utopia.  Of course this will never work and people need to take personal responsibility.  One things that is very common these days is for people to come to me and try to rope me into their drama.  For a pastor like me, I get requests to do everything from fix someone's computer, go with them to the cell phone store or simply unclog a toilet.  I am a busy man and I need to know what is my responsibility and what is not.  If someone comes to me and tries to pull me away from something important to get involved in their drama, I simply say, "not my circus, not my monkeys."  This is a very old Polish proverb which basically means that your circus is yours and my circus is mine and I will not run, fix, repair or manage your circus.  So remember, the next time someone tries to pile on drama that is not yours.

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