Insightful words. My biggest learning that one at some level has to be impersonal with kindness. One does it because it needs to be done. It is like drinking a glass of water, you need the hydration. With kindness one is hydrating the soul. I have people shout behind me that was kind, those were perhaps the most embarrassing moments in my life, you just want to hide, not be seen. You are right people will take advantage of you, but that’s alright, their need is driving the actions there. Whatever that is, that’s what they need and if they are pushed to the extreme where they have to take advantage of someone to fulfill that need then be it. Kind people are not naive, they are empathic, they make a choice of prioritizing another. One doesn’t end up with less when they give, one ends up with more, you don’t have regrets, what if that person really needed help, if no one helped them. Kindness works in mysterious ways. It is sum of all your actions, whatever you call it, karma, Chi or whatever, what you do is what you get, if you are consistently in the situation where your are helpful & kind, kind things will happen to you, or perhaps giving away makes you a lot more mentally resilient, self sufficient, you are prepared to deal with anything, you are ready. When some one takes advantage I usually think perhaps overtime that other person might recover, maybe it will give them relief from their current predicament, a chance to reflect, once they are less focused on getting their needs met, maybe they too, might be kind to someone, even if not it is alright. That was my role, it has ended. I drank that glass, my soul is hydrated but it will be thirsty again and I must keep drinking. You are right about learning when to step aside, it is a hard lesson but it must be practiced. It leaves room for growth, reflection for the other and that is kind too. Keep giving, be kind, you are doing that for your soul.