Asking for Help ... It's a Super Power

Very often in life, our success is not based on what we know or how we go about implementing our plans, it is based on who we know. 

When we have the right people doing the right thing on our teams, we can work harder and smarter, and we have a better chance of reaching our goals. 

But often, it can be uncomfortable to ask for help. We don't reach out to people who can help us because we don't want to be a burden and because we think we should be able to handle things on our own. 

And while certainly, we should not expect the people in their lives to sacrifice themselves and run to our rescue at every turn, we should expect that the people in our lives love us and want to help us. 

Even acquaintances want to help us. Supporting someone feels good. It gives us a sense of purpose and reminds us that we add value to the world.

But asking for help requires practice. Sometimes, we need to be reminded that there are people out there who could help us, if only we would.

People cannot read our minds. They don't know when we need their help, and they don't know what kind of help we need ... unless we ask. 

When we teach our kids to get in the habit of asking, they will begin to see that doors open. A family friend might help them build work experience that better positions a teenager to get into a college program or land an internship. A relative who is an English teacher might be willing to help them review their college admissions essays. A neighbor might be willing to help them earn some money by hiring them to run some errands.