Ask For Help

November 10, 2022 in orange desk

drawing of a person with a cloud of confusion and overwhelm swirling above their head

It is hard for me to ask for help. It always has been. Stubborn and strong-willed as a little orange-haired child, I was the one who was always brave and independent. It’s no wonder that Pippi Longstocking was my hero.

I never asked for help, and even as an adult, it’s really hard for me to do that. It’s vulnerable, isn’t it?

But I see the value in it, so I am trying to do better at asking others for help, and each Monday morning, I ask myself a few self-reflection questions to see how I’m doing:

1. How did I receive help this past week?

I let myself be seen when I ______________.
I asked ___________ for advice.
I sought help on an issue from ________________.
I said yes when _______________ offered help.

2. What’s one thing I did this past week that I want to stop?

3. What three things am I thankful I did this past week?

4. What’s one thing I want to do this week?

The truth is, I love helping others. And others love helping people. It’s not an imposition in most cases, and if it is, you can have an honest conversation about that. Seek someone’s advice or help this week. See how that feels (for both of you).

And remember: Your only obligation now is to your own happiness (and health, and healing). How about letting others help you in fulfilling that obligation?

About Patti Digh

Patti Digh is an author, speaker, and educator who builds learning communities and gets to the heart of difficult topics. Her work over the last three decades has focused on diversity, inclusion, social justice, and living and working mindfully. She has developed diversity strategies and educational programming for major nonprofit and corporate organizations and has been a featured speaker at many national and international conferences.