Long before I found this path…
Long before I awakened…
Long before I graduated…

I was sometimes what you would call an angry young man.
I was unhappy with every aspect of my life.
Living with my parents when I was in my thirties.
Not being able to drive.

Image from:
CJP Photos

I felt useless.
I felt stuck.
It was around this time that I got down on my knees, looked up and said, please God.  Help me!

It was at this time that I found a support group to help me recover my self esteem.
It was at this time that the moment I walked into the group for the first time that I felt safe, that I felt like I belonged, that these people were dealing with the same challenges that I was, that I wasn’t alone.

Feeling that I wasn’t alone made the biggest impact on my life to that moment.

So what does this have to do with the title of my column today?  Well, I had to give some backstory before I could go forward.  Because I still couldn’t drive when I found these people, I found it necessary to do something I’m still not comfortable doing.
Asking for help.

If I wanted to continue moving forward…
If I wanted to return…

I needed to find a way to get back to the group the following week.
I need to swallow my pride and ask for what I needed.

One of the things that has always challenged me is asking for help.
It makes me feel less than I am.
It creates a void in my life.  But this meeting motivated me, pushed me, changed my opinion of myself.

We all need help.

Our lives don’t miraculously happen without others.  So I swallowed my pride and before the night ended, I raised my hand and spoke up.  The world didn’t end, and I received the help that I needed.  That group set me on the path I’m on now.  Those initial steps I took lead me to where I am today.  I still sometimes find it distressing when I have to reach out, however I now understand that we all need help, that we can’t all do everything alone, that life is meant to be shared.  This column was given to me today because there is a hike happening soon and I’m not familiar with where it is.  I never like driving somewhere the first time on my own.  So I reached out to friends I knew were also going.  It was when I reached out that I realized how far I’ve come since attending that first meeting so many years ago.  I no longer feel as intimidated to ask for what I need it.  I learned that asking doesn’t make one weak.  It creates strength.

How strong are you?

Be Happy!  Be Well!  Be Positive!
Blessings to you.
—
Chris