Asking for Help is Really Hard

“You create your opportunities by asking for them.”
Shakti Gawain

“The strong individual is the one who asks for help when he needs it. Whether he has an abscess on his knee or in his soul.” Rona Barrett

We should be careful to get out of an experience only the wisdom that is in it – and stay there, lest we be like the cat that sits down on a hot stove lid. She will never sit down on a hot stove lid again… but also, she will never sit down on a cold one any more.
–Mark Twain

Asking for help does not mean that we are weak or incompetent. It usually indicates an advanced level of honesty and intelligence.
- Anne Wilson Schaef

How could you possibly run a cool family, team or organization without asking for help? In fact, how could you run a cool person, YOU, without asking for help?

I'd say one of the hardest things about being a parent is you CAN NOT do it by yourself. Even in a dual parented family, outside help is going to be almost certainly needed. So, in the typical way of child-rearing, I have had to stretch and grow. This has required learning to suck it up, and ask for help. Especially because I work (Only part-time! What about the single moms who work full time?!? My mind boggles.) I have to ask people to help me with my kids. Even though I have people in my life who are more than happy to help, I still find myself cringing when I have to ask. All of the same feelings I've always had when asking for help come creeping up. I'm asking too much, I'm irresponsible, I'm inconsiderate of other people's time or resources... Gack.

I must remember: Asking for help is not a bad thing. I would say that to ANY of my friends or family if they asked me for help. It requires humility- and maybe that is part of the puzzle, I need more of that humility stuff. It requires faith in people too- just because someone can't help me this time, doesn't mean they don't want to or won't try to at a later time. Just because one person said no, it doesn't mean the next person won't say yes.

I am discovering that asking for help is the only way I'm going to navigate this life. Especially since my children's happiness is involved do I have to make this leap. I can not be the kid starving in college because I'm too prideful to ask my folks for money (thank goodness my sis would slip me some cash). No longer can I afford to fight weaknesses without grabbing a helping hand.

Life is so REAL when you have kids! It isn't just me that hurts when I don't get help. And that's the bottom line.