Nobody Does It Alone                                                            November 2009

This fall, as I've been peeling back the layers of my life and trying on new ways of being, I've had an epiphany: it's OK to ask for help.

When someone is kind enough to extend a helping hand, there is no glory in declining it if the only thing that's getting in the way is your pride. Imagine this: sometimes people actually enjoy helping others, and you would actually be offering them an opportunity to contribute by allowing them to be helpful. It's a gift, not an imposition. Hmmmmmmm...how about that?!

I had never thought of it that way before. With my ego ever-so-firmly intact, I had always figured that I should be strong/smart/capable/independent enough to figure anything out or handle whatever needed to be handled on my own. But it's not so easy. No fun at all. And lonely. ...there's a reason people call it "foolish pride".

It takes more courage to allow yourself to be vulnerable than to show up as invincible - as we are all only human, after all.

And the best part? Once you get on the other side of whatever you are going through, the person/people who helped you have been able to play a role in your journey - and ultimately, you will "pay the kindness forward" for someone else.

It's what makes the world go round.

Cheers and a Smile from My Heart to Yours,