By Richard Ray:
I don’t care how independent you are. I don’t care how talented, intelligent, resourceful or even well off you are. Everyone’s sustained success in life is dependent on the support system we have. Suspecting I was an introvert and unsure of my social capabilities, my mother once tried to relay to me that “No man is an island”. Her stoic commentary was intended as positive advice/warning to explain to me that no matter how self-reliant I thought I was, I couldn’t succeed on my own.
I thought I was a man at the age of thirteen. Of course I wasn’t. Not even close, but essentially moving out of my house, going away to school and living in the summers with my mentor, gave me a false sense of bravado and perspective as to the true extent of my independence. The reality is that no matter how much I told myself I was independent and even thought I paid rent to my mentor over the summers, it was just stronger examples of the support system I had around me.
My mother supported my needs to appear independent. My mentor did the same. He took the hundred fifty bucks I paid him in rent and used every dime plus some to feed me. Most importantly they always had my back and provided both a safety net as well as active help, encouragement and support for my growth and development.
I would be half the man that I am today without their help and the reality is that no matter how much I prided myself on my independence, my journey has consistently included the help and support of those in my life. We are not islands. It isn’t just a social commentary on our needs to interact with others. It is a stronger testament to the fact that none of us can truly successfully navigate the journey that is life without the help and support of others.
No one does it alone. No matter how much someone tries to re-write history or change a narrative by declaring that “no-one ever gave them anything” or “they had to do it all on their own” the truer reality is that there are always others in that story who lent assistance. It may not have been financial, but it could have been guidance, encouragement or other support that helped.
You may be like me, and not particularly adept at networking or even asking for help. That is okay, because you can always get better. The first and most important step is understanding and realizing that you cannot do it all alone. We all need help and encouragement. We all need good positive people in our lives. We all need to learn from both the winning examples of others as well as their mistakes.
Do not close yourself off from the benefits of interacting with others. There is much to gain. Most importantly, you have something to offer people as well. Remember, there is no robbery in fair exchange. Give as much as you receive. Life is truly a journey, and while it is not only more fulfilling when shared with others, it is nearly impossible to master alone.
#supportsystem, #friends, #networking, #life, #Journey, Mentoring
