I hardly ever raised my hand in class to ask a question. By "hardly," I mean I NEVER did it. In fact, I never raised my hand unless I was absolutely 100% certain I had the right answer because I didn't want to ever look stupid or weak.

For this same reason, the ever-struggling single mom finds it difficult to ask for help in raising her two kids even within her whole family.

It's why the man experiencing physical pain and various illnesses avoids going to the doctor and self-medicates instead or why it's even difficult to ask for help with daily tasks.

Asking for help is difficult for everyone. Even if people think they don't have a problem asking for help, there's usually one or two things they're "handling on their own" that they shouldn't have to.

We think it makes us appear weak or we're just opening ourselves up for rejection, but Brene Brown reminds us of this: "You cannot judge yourself for needing help." No, you're not weak for opening up. You're not weak for needing help.

The honest truth is that we were never meant to do life alone. It's why we crave human connection and community. We truly need help. We need other people in our lives. But being stubborn? Being unwilling to ask for help? That's a sure fire way to tell others you want to be alone.

We need to wake up!

Everyone needs help.

We know this because we'd rather help others than ask for help ourselves. It's easier to offer the single-mom to babysit once in a while before she asks. It's easy to help the man with back pains move heavy boxes. We're even quicker to offer our assistance in any mundane tasks before we ask it for ourselves.

Asking for help, however, leads to many benefits. It'll be less stressful having to get everything done on our own. Even just saying, "Hey, I need to talk" is a solid first step. Sitting on a couch, sipping coffee, and unloading with friends relieves stress and reduces loneliness.

Taking that first step means letting yourself be seen. It means embracing the vulnerability hangovers that are sure to come after we learn to break down the walls.

If you don't know how where to start, you can seriously just say "I'm struggling." Those are the two words that people hear and immediately understand it's a cry for help.

I'm struggling.

I can't do this on my own.

I need help.

We all understand those words. We can empathize with others who say it. Now, we need to learn how to say it ourselves.
Start with raising your hand in class when you don't understand the lecture. Go to your professor's office hours for better clarification. Ask a coworker or boss for help when you know you can't do it on your own. Ask a friend for a good old coffee chat.

You're not sacrificing your independence and you are not any less of a functioning human being simply by saying you can't do life on your own. You're inviting someone else in your life who will help make you stronger.