You know, I really can't say there was just one day when I realized I couldn't do it alone.
It wasn't that I thought someone was going to rescue me.
I knew I needed other people. I just didn't trust them enough to let them help me. Somewhere along the way I convinced myself that people either couldn't or wouldn't be there when I needed them, so I decided I would just do everything myself.
Then life kept proving me wrong.
When I was in the Army, I quickly realized I couldn't accomplish everything on my own. I had to have help learning to run so I could improve. One of my direct supervisors would run beside me during formation and remind me how to breathe. She even started a weekend running group. At first it was just the two of us, and before long others joined. She never made me feel like I was slowing her down. She simply helped me become better.
The Army taught me another lesson too.
When I first joined, I didn't know anything about computers. One of my supervisors told me, "Just look for the cursor."
I had to ask, "What's a cursor?"
I didn't even know what a mouse was. To me, a mouse was that nasty little creature you tried to keep out of the house.
Someone had to teach me. They didn't laugh at me. They simply helped me learn.
Even before the Army, I wasn't doing life alone as much as I thought I was.
When my boys were young, I depended on my family for childcare. Looking back, I kept telling myself I was doing everything on my own, but that wasn't true. My mom and my sisters stepped in more times than I probably realized. They were there when I needed them, even if I didn't fully appreciate it at the time.
So maybe there wasn't one single day when I realized I couldn't do it alone.
Maybe it was hundreds of moments that slowly changed my thinking.
The truth is, there is strength in accepting help. There is wisdom in learning from people who have already walked the road you're on. None of us were created to carry every burden by ourselves.
For years I believed asking for help was a sign of weakness.
Now I know it's one of the strongest things a person can do.
Your Pivot Challenge: Think about someone who has helped you become the person you are today. Have you ever thanked them? If not, today might be the perfect day to let them know how much their support meant.