Don’t Do 2024 Alone: Experience Growth by Asking for Help
Interning with a phenomenal company in a gorgeous location, it was the summer of a lifetime. Until my mental health disintegrated. With family and friends hundreds of miles away, I had no idea where to turn for support. So, I clutched my baggage to my chest, struggling in isolation.
Finally, I confided in a trusted co-worker. Through our conversation, I experienced the truth Brené Brown discovered years ago: vulnerability is at the heart of genuine connection. Not only did my co-worker meet me with grace and compassion, but she also connected me with a counselor.
As you ponder the year ahead, perhaps this story resonates. There’s a burden you shoulder alone, but you want this year to be different. Or maybe you have a dream for 2024, only you don’t have the bandwidth to make it a reality. Whether dealing with mental health or starting a new job, everyone needs help from time to time. The question is, where do you start?
Glad you asked.
where do you need help?
Do you want to invest in your mental health? Start a small business? Exercise consistently? Become a better cook? Whether big or small, don’t be afraid to name your thing. We’re all learning as we go.
who will you ask?
Too often we try to do life on our own. We read self-help books, search for do-it-yourself projects online and go through the self-checkout at the grocery store. The key component? Yourself.
Now, are self-checkouts bad? No. However, when you take it upon yourself to solve all of life’s problem, you set yourself an impossible challenge.
Instead, what if you shared your need with someone else? What about a friend, a family member or a co-worker? Consider who you can reach out to.
what holds you back?
For some of you, identifying the ‘where’ and the ‘who’ is not the issue. You know where you want to grow and who could help, but you can’t bring yourself to ask.
Writing for Psychology Today, Andy Lopata identifies three reasons people struggle to ask for help: feeling burdensome, fear of vulnerability, and expecting a negative response.
For example, say you and your spouse want to get away for a weekend, except you feel bad asking someone to stay with the kids. Or you need clarification for a project at work, but you don’t want to look ignorant.
This brings you to a crossroads.
what will you choose?
Friend, I don’t know your circumstances. I don’t know what keeps you from asking for help. I do know that you are not meant to do life alone.
Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.”
Whatever your goals for 2024, don’t pursue them on your own. Invite someone in. Voice your needs. The choice is yours.
Sources
Brown, Brené. “The Power of Vulnerability.”
Holy Bible. New International Version
Elizabeth Molitor is a recent graduate of Taylor University’s professional writing program. Based in southeastern Michigan, she delights in channeling her skills and passion into stories that convey honesty, beauty and hope.