Accepting Help

When it comes to asking for help, I can be pretty stubborn at times.

Sometimes it's just regular thick-headedness, and sometimes it's about trying to do too much on my own because I think asking for help will make me look weak or less independent.

The stubbornness reached its worst point during one stint of college. Rather than being smart and asking for help when I should have, I took on too much, failed a couple classes, and dug myself into a deeper hole trying to get out of the one I was already in. It ended up costing me money, independence, and a bit of trust from people who cared about me and would've been more than willing to help me if I'd asked them to.

A year of doing next to nothing in a very small town made me see the error of my ways, and when I got accepted into Scriptwriting, I was smart enough to take it slow and ask for help immediately.

Seeking more independence the last couple years through employment, housing, and home care has been exceptionally tough, and there have been plenty of times I've tried to look for solutions on my own (or at least with just my parents), but the assistance I've received from social workers, employment agencies, and others has been a big help and has made things much less stressful.

It might not seem like it at first, but admitting you need help when there's something you can't do doesn't make you look weak, and people won't think less of you for it. In fact, accepting help shows a sense of responsibility and makes you more independent, freeing up time and energy to devote to other things.

Accepting help for yourself also helps others. For one, those around you won't have to worry about whether or not you're in dire straits. Additionally, it shows respect towards the person(s) offering it.

I know first hand what not accepting help can lead to, and I've seen others in the same situation. I don't ever want to go down that road again *knocks on wood*, and I really hope that, in reading this, people will avoid doing the same.

Cheers