Accept the help.
Don't be afraid to ask for it.
My whole life I’ve had this idea that I had to do it all myself.
I’m not sure where it came from, or how so much has gotten tangled up in it.
Wanting to do it all,
But finding some things beyond the scope of my skill and ability.
Feeling ashamed to ask for help.
Being resentful no one reads my mind and gives me the help they don’t know I need.
Living life in a constant state of pressure,
Expectation, overwhelm,
Not feeling good enough because I couldn’t do it all.
Signing up for program after program
Checking off the boxes
Hoping the next thing I do will magically fix the problem.
Discouraged time and again that the thing I rode my hopes on didn’t work.
At some point, someone planted the seed in me
That I don’t have to do everything myself.
That seed of an idea sat there, waiting for a long time
Before I finally allowed it to take root.
And now it has sprung up into a fully-grown idea
That I admire in my garden,
That I can pick and bring inside -
And yet is always still there in my garden waiting for me.
My life is so much richer because of it.
You see, we aren’t meant to do life alone.
We need each other.
We don’t have to have all the talents, skills and abilities -
It wouldn’t be fair if we did.
Instead, we each have some gifts,
And it’s our job to share them with those who don’t.
It’s our job to seek out and find those whose gifts we need
And to accept help with gratitude.
(We can even ask for it!)
Because giving and receiving are two sides of the same coin.
And it’s together that we do our best work.
It’s together that we make our lives beautiful.
Who I’m appreciating:
Today I’m grateful for my friend David Marlow, the Ikigai Guy, for his support and encouragement to ask good questions and dig a little deeper. Check out his thought provoking newsletter HERE. And join David and I on Tuesday night at 8pm Eastern as we chat about Asking Good Questions on my livestream. Tune in on LinkedIn, YouTube, or Facebook.
And I’m grateful for my friend Elle Rosselli of ClearCopyWorks who helped spruce up the landing page for Unveil Your Inner Magic, my new journaling program. I invite you to take a look, even if you’ve taken a peek before, and see how it resonates with you. And then to reach out to Elle if you want help with any of your copy.
How I’m giving:
And I’m grateful I get to share my gifts with others this Wednesday (8/16) at our monthly Journaling Mini-Retreat. If you’re in need of a little self-care or you just want to see what group journaling is all about, join us at 7:30pm Eastern. Register HERE.
Use these prompts as written or as inspiration to uncover what you need in your life this week. And know that I’m always here to support you and answer questions you have along the way!
What is your relationship with asking for help?
What do you try to do on your own, even though there are people you could ask for help?
What do you make it mean for you if you need help?
Think about a time when you helped someone. How did it feel?
How did it affect your relationship with them?
How would graciously receiving help impact your relationship with others?
One Journaling Idea I Love:
Take a page from Benjamin Franklin
In his autobiography, Benjamin Franklin lists 13 virtues that he wanted to acquire. He then makes a plan to work on them one by one.
My intention being to acquire the habitude of all these virtues, I judg’d it would be well not to distract my attention by attempting the whole at once, but to fix it on one of them at a time; and, when I should be master of that, then to proceed to another, and so on, till I should have gone thro’ the thirteen
List out the virtues - or qualities, values, or skills - that you would like to have. And then create a plan to work on them one by one, using your journal to record your journey and mark your progress.
More Good Stuff
I’ve got this beautiful new group journaling program: Unveil Your Inner Magic. If you are looking for some structure to your journaling, some guidance and support to aid you in self-discovery; If you are wanting a different flavor to your journaling, to try something new, Unveil Your Inner Magic could be exactly it for you. It's designed to lead you on a path of reflection and introspection, to help you peel back the layers to find and remember who you truly are and who you were meant to be. This will help you journal in a way you haven't before. I’m here when you’re ready.
Happy Journaling!
