Ask and You'll Get More Than Expected

Being self-sufficient is one of the foundations upon which this great country was founded. Being self-sufficient is something to strive for and to be admired in others. But there are times in life when we cannot ourselves fix what is broken or we just do not possess the knowledge or expertise necessary to accomplish tasks put before us. It is at these moments that the blessing of asking for help can and should be a very appropriate alternative. It's hard to ask for help, we fear rejection, judgment and worst of all perhaps no one will come to our aid and we will feel more alone than we did before we made our daring, brave attempt to show our vulnerability and raise a flag for assistance.

I have been in such a situation of late. And I must say, as a reminder to myself and as a bit of inspiration for anyone else in the same boat -- ask for help, you will be richly rewarded. This is the moment when all the good you've done and all the kindnesses and generosity you've extended, when your integrity and the good name which you have worked so hard to establish and maintain are rewarded.

I considered carefully who I could trust, who might be able to assist me with their experience, training and knowledge. I put together a list of 3 people who I could confide in and one by one approached each one with one or two basic and very simple questions I felt would lead me in the right directions. I anticipated that this would require no more than 10-15 minutes of their time. As I presented my situation and questions to them, each one offered much more time than I had requested and went far beyond answering my simple questions. They looked at the big picture and offered assistance in every way they could help me. Some offered help I did not even know they had the connections or ability to provide and referred me to other people who could also help me.

While I could not escape the situation I found myself in, the great lesson for me was that I found much more good than expected. I found new respect for the goodness in others, saw greatness in these kind souls generosity and was comforted in their caring and supportive words. These are precious gifts I could not have been blessed with had I not had to go through a challenging experience and ask for help. Ask...and it really will be given to you in greater measure than you anticipate!