Just this past week, I was chatting with someone about some questions I had about myself. By the end of our conversation, I had gained a much more advanced perspective about myself, which I would not have dared considered before. This is just one of the occasions where being able to connect with others has allowed me to see myself in a better light than what I would naturally incline to.
For this reason, let’s talk a bit about the benefits about reaching out to others for help in self-evaluation. Please note that these people should have proven trust-worthy and have your best interest at heart. They don’t need to be close to you, but definitely open to share their own experiences and give you room to make your own decisions.
First off, bringing your thoughts to someone will enrich the scope of your thoughts. This person brings not only their life experiences but their family belief system, their education, and their social connections to the table. They might be from a different generation or race, and any of these or other characteristics will color how they see your thoughts or questions. You will also learn from them different ways of thinking through a problem or how to evaluate an opportunity, enriching you even more.
Speaking with someone also allows you room to recognize that it is okay to reach out to others. We aren’t meant to live in an island and when we connect with our community, we enlist the whole community’s powers to work with and for us. It breeds humility to realize that others are stronger in other areas than us, and it helps us identify how we can become stronger too.
Reaching out gives those who have resources the opportunity to share. Being generous with what we have enriches our surroundings and us as well. The resources multiply and come back ten-fold, as more are impacted by the accomplishments and experiences of one. The person being approached might also identify recurrent needs and ideate ways on how to meet them, adding even more to the community.
Finally, connecting with others expands your network and helps them get to know you. They also gain an acquaintance that has experience in a certain area and can relay your name, as long as you allow it, to others going through the same. You might turn into someone who is frequently approached by others, without even realizing it, as some start understanding you at different areas of your life.
It might feel scary to put yourself out there, but you definitely increase the value for yourself and your surroundings in more ways than you can imagine. If this is something that interests you, make sure that you also make yourself available so others can approach you in case they need your help or support. Showing interest for your community will open doors that can take you to places you had never thought you would be able to step into and empower you to do things you would not have been able to do by yourself.
Thriving in Simplicity 