Last Friday, I held a webinar on Discovering Your Creative Purpose. To be honest, I was nervous about reaching out to others to invite them to come. I mostly viewed it as people doing me a favor. But as I talked to my family and friends, I began to see the exchange between myself and others more like a roundtrip flight rather than a one-way ticket. This wasn’t just about me. It was about providing others with beneficial information that could help them grow.
How daunting and frightening can it be to put yourself out there to connect with others? Not to mention sharing your creative work in order to make a living. But I believe there is a freedom in being vulnerable because you notice how much we truly need each other.
Consider the filter you see yourself and others with. Personally, I generally don’t ask for help because I assume others will be untrustworthy or unwilling to help. On the other hand, the filter I have for myself looks a lot like not being worthy of receiving assistance and feeling like a debt will be owed if I do. It’s easy to feel hesitant and scared to reach out when we have these filters that tell us who we are and who everyone else is.
Think of the benefits in asking for help even if no one says “yes.” It isn’t unrealistic to believe that some people will be unable to help. Or even that others who said they could come can’t make it. Life happens. But what if your asking isn’t in vain even if no one can make it. Maybe it’s more about connecting with others than it is about having them there to prevent you from feeling uncomfortable. Establishing relationships is extremely powerful. When others see your authenticity and how you value them, you are inviting others to trust you. So it might be a “no” right now but it may not stay that way.
Asking for help is an opportunity to recognize the giftedness of others. Before you ask for help, think about what others excel in and what they love. You never know the opportunity you could be robbing others who enjoy using their talents. Maybe marketing isn’t your strong suit, but your friend who you haven’t spoken to in a few years is a guru. Try reaching out and see what happens. You may have awesome social media content and a good friend back.
Asking is a reminder that we aren’t self-sufficient. It can be humbling yet rewarding. Maybe we weren’t made to do everything by ourselves. And perhaps others are willing to help us because of who they are and who we are to them.