Making Connections and Asking for Help
The connections we make in life socially, economically, educationally, etc affect the direction of our life.
I have talked a lot about the importance of good friendships and surrounding yourself with people that lift you up and make you happy. It is also important to talk about connections in other places like work and daily life that aren’t just in terms of friends.
It is easy to go around day to day without saying hi, without knowing peoples names. On the other hand, it is also easy to put in just a little more effort to say hello or make a connection. We all have so many facets of our personality, so there is bound to be something we can use to connect with another person.
Why connect? Connections allow us to add value to our lives, learning new perspectives and ideas from others. We can use conversation and connection to enrich both of our lives as it makes both people happier and we learn infinitely more knowledge. Making connections with those you will often be around makes the space more comfortable. Making connections with those you may not be around as often still makes that specific circumstance more enjoyable. As soon as I got to college I not only made sure to introduce myself to my professors, but also to the workers in my building, the dining hall, etc. We are all human. Don’t you like when people know your name especially when you are doing things for them? Treat others like the human beings they are. Use energy to remember their name. These connections show that you care. Life is so much more than getting good grades and making money. Life is about being a good person and creating joy for yourself and others. When you reach out to others and put the effort in, it makes them happy which will in turn make you happy.
The flight attendant, the cleaner, the office manager, the librarian. The people you see on a day-to-day basis or the people you run into every once in a while. Say hi. Ask them how their day is going. Put a little extra care into your interactions and you will feel the difference. A smile will creep onto your face after a sweet interaction. You will start to want to compliment others randomly and the good karma will come back around.
Connections have a positive impact on our well-being. Being exposed to people and conversations increases life expectancy, can improve confidence, and can outweigh other harmful factors. Connecting with others teaches you a lot about yourself. We can learn how to communicate effectively, how to be empathetic, and how to be a good listener. Connections make us better friends and better people as we learn to give advice when we need to and know when it is time to listen. We can build our community and a network of support through connections. The more people you reach out to, the more support you have when you need it. Friends and family are great for support, but strangers can be too. Sometimes, it is nice to have an un-biased, unattached piece of advice.
Connections are also proven to go hand-in-hand with success. Knowing people gets you far. You never know if the random person you decide to start chatting with is in the business you want to go into.
As I said, connections are great for help. So, once you make the connections, use them. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help. We all need help at some point in time. Isn’t it so much better to ask for assistance that to be silently struggling by yourself? There are so many people out there who would love to give you help, advice, guidance, so take them up on it. Professors love to answer question. Parents love to support their children. Questions are a good thing. Being curious is great. The path to success takes struggle and failure. The way to get to success is by asking for help and working to rectify your issues. In school, if you don’t do so well on a test, reach out to your teacher. Show them you care. I always will ask to review the test and meet with them to create a study plan that will lead me to success. This creates a connection between the teacher and I and allows me to learn from my mistakes instead of sulk.
When you ask for help, you have to be willing to take the advice. Chances are the people giving the advice have been there done that. For example, parents. I know we hate to admit it, but usually they know what they are talking about because they have been through it. As far as teachers and professors, they know what you need to do to succeed. After all, it is their class.
Asking for help can be scary, but it doesn’t need to be. Let’s normalize it. Even if you feel like it is too late to ask, I promise you it is not. Better late than never. Getting help feels like a relief. A weight is lifted off of your shoulders and the puzzle pieces fit perfectly in alignment. Maybe you ask someone for help and they explain it in a way you have never heard of before and suddenly it all clicks. Different people have different methods and different understandings which can help each os us when we are learning new material.