perseverance

Oct

2021

How To Ask Someone For Help

Reading Time: 3 minutes

It is difficult to ask other people for help. People tend to want to be able to do things their way. Asking for help from other people means acknowledging that we alone are not capable of doing something. It takes a lot of humility to accept that. In a way, we are also surrendering control of the situation and allowing others to take over. That’s why for most of us, we tend to put off asking for assistance unless we already feel hopeless and we need saving. When this happens, another concern comes up and that is how receptive will the other person be. Just imagine how devastating it could be after gathering the courage to finally ask others for help only to be rejected in the end. So, what are the ways on how to ask someone for help to make sure that we can get it?

1. Ask with Sincerity and Humility

Asking with sincerity and humility makes you vulnerable. This in turn will trigger the other person’s instinct and desire to help someone in need. It is hard to empathize with someone who is acting extremely proud.

2. Be Polite

To be polite means being respectful and considerate to other people. If you are polite, you are more likely to achieve your goals. Use words such as:

Please
Do you mind if…?
May I …?
Would it be possible to …?
Could you give me a hand?
Could you do me a favour?

3. Get the Proper Timing

People are busy most of the time. To avoid being rejected, it helps to ask at the correct time. Don’t just call a friend or family and ask directly, ask them first when is the best time to call them or talk to them. In this way, you can be sure that you are not disrupting anything important that they are doing.

Timing not only pertains to the time but also the mood of the person you are asking too. Don’t ask someone who is in a bad mood. This will only increase your chance of being rejected.

4. Give Them Time to Think About It

If you are going to ask for help, it is proper that you give them time to think about your request. Don’t be offended if they cannot answer you right away. By giving them time, they might be able to come up with something that can help you in the best way that they can.

5. Refrain from Reminding Them That They Owe You One

So you have helped your friend before. And now the tables are turned. You need your friend’s help this time. If you are going to ask that person for help, refrain from reminding them that they owe you one. By doing that, is will sound like you are controlling them. It is like you are asking them to pay back the good deed that you have done before. If are going to help somebody, that’s it. There should be no strings attached. Helping others and expecting them to return the favor later is not helping at all. If there is a need for a payback, then that is considered a loan not a helping hand. Don’t make things awkward. Just ask sincerely.

6. Never Give Up

And lastly, don’t expect them to give you the answer that you are looking for. They might not be able to help you. Sometimes, they might say some things that you don’t want to hear. Be prepared for this. If this happens, it’s okay. Don’t give up just yet. Successful persons like Colonel Sanders and Walt Disney never gave up. You can always ask another person instead.

Feature Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Aug

2021

Bring Out the Fighter in You

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Many people are in pain right now because of the pandemic. Millions are grieving for their departed loved ones. Many lost their job s. A great number are sick and are fighting for their lives. Even those that may be safe physically and financially may be living in fea r. What to do if you are one of these people? While it is okay to not be okay, we can’t stay in this state forever. Sooner or later, we need to learn how to turn pain into success . Here are tips on how to bring out the fighter in you.

1. Feel the Pain

Pain is a necessary component of life. Without pain, you will not be able to fully appreciate and understand what happiness is.You need to let go and allow the negative emotions to flow. Give yourself time to feel the pain. Cry your heart out. It is the only way towards healing.

Bring it, bring the pain, oh yeah. Come on up, bring the pain. Rain is pouring, sky keeps falling, everyday, oh na na na. Bring it, bring the pain.
– BTS, On

2. Acceptance

It is easier said than done, but you need to learn to accept reality. The world is no longer what it used to be. We just woke up one day to a whole new world. Unfortunately, there is no going back to where it was before. We just need to learn to accept that. The sooner we accept his fact, the sooner we can move on with our lives. Our life has been disrupted, bringing us at a crossroads. Whether it is changing careers, changing addresses or whatever it is; now is the time to make life-changing decisions. And it is easier to make a decision if we understand and accept that things now are different.

3. Find Your Why

Once you have learned to accept the situation. It is now time to find your ‘why’. Why do you need to succeed? Why do you need to overcome this obstacle? Your why will be your motivation. It will serve as your fuel or energy to stand up again. Without this reason, it will be difficult to keep on moving forward. It will be easier to give up.

4. Come Up With A Plan

Where do you want to go from here? What are your goals? In order to move forward, you must first figure out your direction. How can you reach your destination without knowing where you want to go in the first place? If you are still unclear about this, start by redesigning your life through a bucket list.

5. Persevere

The road ahead is never easy. What differentiate successful people like Oprah Winfrey, Steve Jobs, Walt Disney and BTS from those who are not is their level of persistence and perseverance. The ability to keep on moving forward despite the setbacks and challenges that come their way is what makes them successful.

Even if I fall, I come right up, scream. That’s how we’ve always been. Even if my knees dropped to the ground, as long as they don’t get buried; it won’t matter…Can’t hold me down ’cause you know I’m a fighter.
– BTS, On

Yes, you can do it! Believe in Yourself. And some day, you are going to pat yourself in the back and be proud of yourself as you look back to this day. Fighting!

You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.
– Steve Jobs

Feature Photo by Julia Larson from Pexels

Jul

2021

How To Not Give Up Today

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Do you ever have days when you feel like giving up? Sometimes, negative emotions can be quite overwhelming. Intense sadness, grief and pain can even lead to depression. When you feel like you are at the lowest point in your life, don’t give up just yet. At least, not today! Remember that tomorrow is a new day. You just have to wait until zero o’clock and it is already a promise of a new day. So, how to not give up today?

1. Listen to Music

The first thing that you need to do is to listen to music. Music has the power to relieve stress and relax the mind. It affects both your mind and body. However, not all music is created equal. To calm your mind, it is best to listen to slow, meditation, classical or piano music. You can also opt to listen to positive affirmations. The purpose is to help you calm down.

2. Breathe Properly

Once you have calmed down, the next thing to do is to concentrate on your breathing. Have you heard of the ‘fight or flight’ response of the body? It is a natural reaction of the body to confront or avoid danger and to survive. When we are stressed, our heart rate and blood pressure increases. Our pupils dilate. We are tense, trembling and are on edge. Our breathing becomes shallow. The best way to control this is by deep breathing.

Get yourself in a comfortable position. Then, begin by inhaling through your nose. Fill your abdomen with air, expanding the belly outward. Then, hold your breath for a few seconds. Now, release your breath slowly through your lips. Repeat until you feel relaxed.

3. Start a Gratitude Journal

Then grab a notebook and a pen. Start your gratitude journal. A gratitude journal is a diary of all the things that you are grateful for. Compared to an ordinary diary where you record the events of the day, regardless of whether they are happy or sad memories; a gratitude journal simply focuses on the positive things in your life. By reflecting on all the blessings that you have received in your life, you are shifting your focus from the negative to the positive. Remember, what you focus on expands. if you focus on the positive, good things will happen to you. In the same way that if you focus too much on the negative, bad things will continue to happen to you.

Focus on the positive things in your life and you’ll be shocked at how many more positive things stat happening.
– Sophia Amoruso

Note that a gratitude journal has the power to change your life. Make your life happier by making it into a habit.

4. Create / Update Your Bucket List

Do you have a bucket list? If you have, then update your bucket list. If you still don’t have one, then it is time to create a bucket list.

A bucket list is a list of things that you want to accomplish in your lifetime. While in the process of creating a bucket list, you will begin to dream of a brighter future. instead of focusing on the things that you lack now, you will become excited about the possibilities of a better tomorrow. The bucket list will give you something to look forward to. it will also give new direction to your life.

5. Love Yourself

At this point, you are now ready to redesign your life. But before you do, it is important that you believe in yourself first. Always remember that happiness is a choice. The same is true with success. Choose to be happy. Choose to be successful. Any you can only do this if you love yourself. Keep in mind that you are special. No one has the power to hurt you unless you let them.

Feature Photo by Brett Jordan from Pexels