Responsibility

I tend to let people take advantage of me.  I mean that (mostly) metaphorically but if you never say "No, you can't do that" or "No, I won't do that" and let others walk all over you it can bring you down over time.  It's not so much about standing up for yourself but almost more about standing up for responsibility in general.  People should be responsible for themselves. They shouldn't be afraid to ask for help but being aware that help is, by definition, "aid" and not "replacement" is an important distinction.

If friends, co-workers, acquaintances, etc know they can "get away" with letting you be responsible and "covering" for their non-involvement or absence then it will just get worse and worse. I do not think the worsening is malicious in intent; it's almost habitual.

When you make your plate keep stuff that you know you can manage and don't put stuff on there that you can't.  It's pretty simple.  You should do something because you are capable of doing something. Not always because you feel obligated to do so. When asked to help, HELP. Don't replace. Don't take over.

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.  Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

I think we can all read between the lines and realize how that quote applies here.