I Did It All By Myself

Ever been around a preschooler who’s super excited about her independence?

She struts out the bedroom in her mix-matched clothes, dress shoes, and lopsided ponytail?

Or, he’s cleaned up his mess by smearing spaghetti sauce all over the table and wiping the last of his spaghetti-o’s onto the floor? But, hey, look… The table is clean!

When we were younger, earning our independence was a badge of honor.

We would sloppily tie our shoes and then proclaim, “I did it all by myself,” even though the laces weren’t tight enough.

And as excited as others would be for us, they knew that we still needed their help to produce the best result.

But, stubbornly, we wouldn’t allow anyone to help us. Though other people could assist us in getting it done quicker and more efficiently, we would rather walk around with our shoes on the wrong feet or our clothes inside out.

There was a certain pride that came with our independent accomplishments.

Unfortunately, some of the pride has carried over into today’s versions of ourselves.

We refuse to ask for help.

Even if asking for help will help to lighten our load…

Even if getting assistance will help us have a better-finished product…

Even though we were not meant to do everything by ourselves, because we cannot be the best at everything.

Someone can help you accomplish that thing you’ve been struggling with.

Somebody doesn’t know you’re waiting for them to offer a hand, because you haven’t asked them.

In other words, stop doing everything yourself.

We are in this thing together, and there are people around you that can make you better, lift you higher, and carry you further.

This week, do the unthinkable… ask someone to assist you. It can be something small, like giving you the answer to a question you haven’t been able to figure out. Or, it can be something big, like helping you complete a project that you’ve been struggling with.

Now, of course, there are times when completing something alone is an amazing feat. But don’t struggle alone JUST SO you can proclaim you did it yourself.

There’s a world around you full of people ready to partner with you. Use them!