Originally Posted by
wpainterw 
i've heard that Mother Teresa has been known to dish out a bit of "tough love" now and then. Good for her! Go for it! Get out there and help somebody!
P.S.My grandma used to say, "You gotta pick yourself up by your bootstraps and get a good grip on yourself!" (What are "bootstraps" and how do you pick yourself up by grabbing on to them? Do you get a good grip on yourself while you do that or afterwards?)
W.
You know what's really cool? Just doing something good for someone without thinking about it. You can dissect your motivations afterwards, though I wouldn't recommend it if you value your time.
Bootstraps? Lots of different versions about where, when and with whom it originated. Traditional meaning is like getting yourself out of trouble on your own and without anyone's help. Good luck with that and with actually pulling yourself up by your bootstraps, the latter of which is sometimes taken to mean shoe laces. In an ironic twist, both enterprises are generally impossible without help. So, when we tell someone else to do it, we're offering poor advice, if not also imbuing them with supernatural powers. Even insulting them.