There has been a major theme bubbling to the surface of life's cauldron lately.
ASK. FOR. HELP.
You know...
Support, assistance, delegation...
Anyone else coming up against some major resistance around these invitations?
I know I am not alone in feeling sometimes crushing pressure from life's undertakings.
If we are as drowned in overwhelm as we constantly complain about, and if we do actually desire to avoid feelings of anxiety, stress and panic....
Why is it so difficult to ask for help?
And why is it so difficult to accept help, even when others offer it to us?
I was at Trader Joe's several weeks ago.
Upon entering, I grabbed my customary handheld basket, despite the fact that I knew my list was a bit lengthy and involved a number of canned and bottled items...
As I perused the aisles, stacking my precious hoard of coconut milk, stewed tomatoes, grass fed eggs and green olives, the basket became heavy. Really heavy.
Now, I'm fairly buff, if I may say so— but by the time I was halfway down my list, I had to carry the basket with both hands.
By the time I got to the checker, I was sweating.
When I finally lugged the weighted vessel to the check-out line, I was embarrassed when the employee reached out to take it from me. I blurted "watch out, it’s really heavy!"
He sort of snorted, huffed and puffed a bit as he, in turn, heaved it onto the counter, then eyed me humorously and said, "you know we have carts, right?"
While this exchange ended with both of us chuckling (and me humbled by being called out), I left the store pondering why indeed I hadn’t gone for a cart.
The answer came pretty swiftly— I suffer from a modern day chronic disposition that I'm going to call "Stubborn Individualism."
The voice of this illusion proudly claims, "I don't need help, I can do this on my own, thank you very much," even as the person spouting this story is tripping, sweating and probably cursing with their own struggle.
I could easily explain WHY this has developed in the psyche of both women and men in our world today...
But I think we can probably all relate, to some degree, to feeling reluctant when it comes to being vulnerable, feeling shame around our "weakness" and having a hard time asking for help...
Even when we really need it!
Today, I want to invite you to stir the cauldron of this stagnant soup and see what sediment you can unearth from the depths of the pot...
Grab a journal or just a quiet moment in meditation...
and spend a minute writing about or contemplating these questions:
- What scares me about asking for help or support?
- If I asked for more help, what might I lose, or what is at risk?
- If I asked for more help, what might I gain?
- List 3 specific situations in your recent past where you could have asked for support and didn't.
- In those same 3 situations, name specifically who or how you could have asked for help.
- Revisit #4 and #5, and really consider the outcome produced by "going it alone" versus receiving assistance.
Friends, change comes with acknowledgment!
Let yourself stew in the delicious potential of what your life could look and feel like if you actually allowed yourself to receive some help.
Whether you're an artist who needs help with promotion...
A food enthusiast who needs help with weight loss...
An entrepreneur who needs help with marketing...
Or a mom who needs help with dishes...
Remember this...
Our ability to ask for help is a strength, not a weakness!
All the most productive, revolutionary change-makers on the planet have support.
No one person can create awesomeness on their own.
You got this!
And if you need help with anything in the realms of having more energy, releasing weight, slowing down and feeling more alive in your body, reach out.
I'm here to help.
Leave a comment and tell me all about it, or grab a free Creating Clarity Conversation here.
Blessings on the blossoming of all your springtime adventures,
Britta
