If you’ve ever shied away from asking for help out of fear of feeling weak, you are not alone.

I have always been afraid to ask people for help; especially when it’s beneficial to me and not them. I’ve always considered asking for help a vulnerability; after all, who wants to willingly reveal their weaknesses? Or so I thought.

As I grew older and became more aware, I learned and accepted that I cannot do everything on my own. The old adage said, “No man is an island, no man stands alone”.

As young adults, we are encouraged to seek mentors who mirror what we hope to achieve. One that can offer some level of guidance on one’s career choice, lifestyle or simply to assist with life challenges. How many of us ever do?

I chose to write about this as I’ve found that in the workplace, it is sometimes hard to find a colleague that you can rely on wholeheartedly or to ask for help without it coming off as though you are passing your work off onto them or showcasing an inability to get the job done.

In fact, instead of asking for help, we comfort ourselves in the remembrance of past successful scenarios where we did something on our own and reassure ourselves that we will figure it out and get it done. It sounds practical and attainable until the anxiety kicks in, then slowly you start to feel incapable, overwhelmed and eventually stressed.

Asking for help can make you feel vulnerable and afraid. In fact, it takes courage to admit that you cannot do something on your own and that you need help.

One of the biggest challenges that I’ve faced as an individual is letting go of my pride; overcoming the fear of seeming needy and that of rejection, so I can ask for help. It is normal for me, like most persons, to build up a protective wall and defence mechanism all in the name of being self-sufficient. After all, we are human! We can be so independent that we try to take care of everything on our own and strive to do things all by ourselves.

So I’d like to share with you some simple yet pertinent reminders. We are all unique, individual people with different needs, strengths, and weaknesses. By helping each other, we build and empower each other to be better versions of ourselves. Some people require more help than others and that’s OK. It simply means you are self-aware and self-assured to know when you need additional insights and reinforcements. That is a sign of great strength and maturity.

Asking for help also creates an atmosphere of empowerment. Empower a sister today, tomorrow or whenever the need arises.