HELP!!!

I was having a conversation with a friend today about why people don't ask for help. I believe that most don't because of pride and ego. People are afraid of what others' might think of them in their time of need. We believe that asking for help is a sign of weakness. I think that this holds especially true among men. Many of us(men) were raised to be macho and strong, and we shouldn't need help. We should be able to handle any situation on our own.

"Ask for help. Not because you are weak, but because you want to remain strong. Ask for help and don't stop until you get it." -Les Brown

I believe that we have the wrong outlook on what it mean to ask for help. If we would put our ego and pride aside, not only would we probably get out of our situation quicker, but we most likely wouldn't dig ourselves into as deep of a hole. So many times, we ask for help when the ship is sinking, rather than asking for help before we even damage the hull. 

I recently had a young man contact me about his relationship with his long time girlfriend. My wife and I had helped this couple in the past, so he felt comfortable reaching out to me again. He told me that he is losing his girlfriend and he didn't know what to do. I had a short conversation with him and about their current situation. I told him that I would be willing to meet with him and/or her to see what I could do to help point them back in the right direction. Even though I am not one to focus on the past, I can't help but wonder a little, what would have happened if one or both of them would have come to me/us sooner. This situation is still ongoing, so I don't have an ending to this story, but it is just an example of asking for help once a ship is already sinking.

I know that sometimes, we get so wrapped up in things that we don't even realize that the ship is sinking. That's okay. It happens to us all. The important thing is that we take the time to ask for help as soon as we realize that the problem is bigger than what we can handle. There is no shame in asking for help.

I have talked a lot about asking for help. About not being to proud to ask, or allowing your ego to get in the way of asking, or waiting till the ship is sinking before you ask. But let me cover one more thing. I have talked before about how important it is to surround yourself with the right people. People who support you, care about you, and push you to do and be better. Having those kinds of people around you is very vital when it comes to asking for help. If you come to me asking for help, make sure that it's not just a pity party that you are dragging me to, because I will not attend. Neither will your really friends. 

Adapt, Improvise, And Overcome to become your very best.