“The strong individual is the one who asks for help when he needs it.” — Rona Barrett
Nothing gets in the way of being able to ask for, and accept help, like pride does. Too often we would rather struggle and perhaps even fail rather than ask for help. What is it that we are so afraid of? Is it a fear of being judged as inadequate or is it the fear of having to share the victory? Either way the root of it all is pride.
Proverbs 16:18 states, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” This bible verse lead to the well-known expression, ‘pride comes before a fall’, which really means too much pride can lead to failure. Pride is not always a bad thing. In fact a balanced amount of pride can have a positive influence on our lives and be a powerful motivator. Too much pride on the other hand can have a very negative impact on our lives, causing a feeling of superiority and making it virtually impossible to ask for or accept help. Asking for help is not a display of weakness but rather a display of strength and definitely intelligence.
I have to agree with Joyce Meyer’s statement, “A humble person asks for help.” In fact I would add wise to that statement. When we humble ourselves we free ourselves to ask for help. It really isn’t wise to waste an unnecessary amount of time struggling on our own and often to no avail. Help is available to us but we need to be willing to not only ask for it but also accept it. Sometimes a helping hand does far more than enabling us to succeed, it can open our understanding, help us tap into our creativity and potential, and it can also encourage and motivate us. So there is a lot to be said for a helping hand.
Asking for help can also convey the message that we value the person we are asking help from. None of us can go through life without ever needing a little help here and there. With that in mind let us not forgot that we need to not only be prepared to accept help when we need it, but also be prepared to give help to others when it is needed. Helping others should not be seen as a chore or burden but rather as an opportunity and a privilege. “Helping others is perhaps the greatest joy! You cannot have a perfect day without helping others with no thought of getting something in return.” — John Wooden.
Imagine a world where people happily help one another, in my mind this translates to happy, healthy, well adjusted, balanced individuals living up to their full potential. Granted we cannot control the actions of others but we can lead by example. Change always starts with ourselves. I encourage everyone to keep their pride in check, to freely accept help and freely give help.
I wrote ‘The proud old owl’ book to help children understand that it is okay to ask for help when you need it. The fun animal characters along with the amazing full-colour illustrations by Dana Espag and Tanja Dunstan really bring the story to life. If you have read this story please review it on Amazon or Goodreads.
If you haven’t read the story yet you can order your copy from Amazon and various other on line retailers. I hope you will enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please feel free to get in touch. Feedback and questions are most welcome. Happy reading to all!
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