This is the final post in a series about small phrases that can make a big difference in your relationships. The last phrase may be the most difficult, and it is definitely the one that is used the least. These three words can make a huge difference for you at home, work, and with friends. The phrase is, “I need help”.
No one likes to ask for help. For many of us, we refuse to ask for help because we feel it means that we have failed, or more to the point, that we are failures. That is such a painful thought that we often continue on, broken and hurting, rather than getting the help that is available to us. For others, asking for help means burdening other people. We don’t want to waste other’s time. We don’t want to inconvenience anyone. So, rather than reaching out, we shrink down inside of ourselves and try to endure whatever we are going through alone.
The ability to ask for help is a critical relational skill, and those who don’t develop it limit their relationships. Here are a couple of reasons why you need to ask for help:
Because you really do need help
Those who never ask for help have resigned themselves to never being their best. You can’t do it all on your own. Everyone needs help sometimes. There are perspectives that you can’t see, and challenges that you can’t overcome without the help of other people. You are not a failure because you can’t do everything on your own. You are however, guaranteed to fail more often if you don’t reach out to others and accept their assistance.
Because true relationships include giving and taking
We all love to be the person in the relationship that gives. It feels good to give. We love to help the people we care about most. It’s strange then, when you consider how often we rob those we love of the opportunity to help us. True relationships include giving and taking. There will be times in life when you have the strength and ability to give to others. There will also be times when you don’t have anything left to give, and what you need to do most is to allow others to give to you. If you are only always giving, your relationship is not healthy.
The odds are that you need help with something in your life right now. Maybe you need some advice or a word of encouragement. Maybe you need help with a task that is bigger or more time consuming than you thought it would be. Whatever it is, take a second today and ask for help, your relationships will be stronger for it!