One thing we define as courage is the ability to do it alone. Here in West Texas, we pride ourselves on our rugged individualism and our “can do” attitude. It’s something that’s looked upon as a great strength, and it is. However, it can also be a great weakness.
One thing I experienced being a know-it-all was never having the courage to ask someone for help. I believed that, in some way, asking for help would expose me as a poser, or as weak and needing help. I knew I didn’t have all the answers, and it made me feel like I wasn’t enough. But guess what? I’m not supposed to be enough.
We were created to live in community with one another. I’ve been learning that asking for help is living your true self, and I came to that realization from reading the book, Who Not How by Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy. This book introduced me to understanding the concept behind what Simon Sinek said in his viral LinkedIn post, “Asking for help is an act of service. Don’t deny the people around you the honor of being there to support you.”
Isn’t that powerful? When we refuse to ask for help and insist on doing things alone because we think that’s true power and freedom, we’re actually hindering those around us from fulfilling their own purpose.
Because we’re created to do life together, when we ask for help, we are living a life that’s expanding—and expanding is compounding.
Think about how it feels when you help someone—that particular feeling of joy and fulfillment is unique. Imagine if everyone could do everything themselves, with no help from anyone… we’d never get to feel that joy! By doing it alone, we can’t fulfill our life’s purpose. Because we’re created to do life together, when we ask for help, we are living a life that’s expanding—and expanding is compounding.
The power of asking for help is actually part of the equation of the law of compounding. When two people with unique abilities each work together on one problem, the results haven’t just been doubled, they’ve been exponentially multiplied. That’s because those two people, who each have their own strengths, share ideas with one another and come to conclusions and solutions that neither would have ever thought of individually. It unlocks an entirely different set of ideas.
Honoring people by asking for their help is living as a person who helps others live their purpose.