Other People Are There for a Reason
One Saturday morning when I was a child, we were having breakfast as a family when my mother announced, “It’s clean the house day.” I erupted. I rushed down stairs, grabbed a ball, chucked it as hard as I could at a wall while shouting, “NO!”, ran into my room, threw myself on my bed, and began pouting. I am not entirely sure how long I laid there, but the entire time I hid in my room, my mom never insisted I come out and begin helping them clean. I was surprised. Normally, she would have insisted I do my part quite loudly. Maybe it was the fear of the coming wrath that I expected or maybe it was my realization that I was being stupid, but I eventually left my room and began to help with the cleaning. Nobody said anything about my tantrum, and to this day, we have never talked about it.
This situation was avoidable. It is easy to look back and say that my mom should have warned us that we would be cleaning on Saturday and not springing it on us that morning. Sure, that would have helped, but as I look back now, I can own my part in the story. Growing up, my mom had to beg me to get me to talk to her and tell her about my day. I am a private person, and there is nothing wrong about that. Did my mom’s pleadings to get me to tell her about my day make me even less willing to talk to her? Absolutely. Yet, I should have found a way to talk to her in a way that felt comfortable to me. The week leading up to my Saturday morning explosion had been a rough one. I was looking forward to a nice, relaxing Saturday. I had been making plans for my Saturday in my head. Did my mom know any of this? No. If, on Friday, I had told my mom that it had been a rough week, she might have found a way of helping me relax or have decided that Saturday was not a good day to make me clean. Instead, I exploded because I had ignored an indisputable fact: Other people are there for a reason.
Humans Are Made for Community
Humans are hard-wired for connection. We are not meant to live in isolation. Without human interaction, we get sad and depressed. Connecting with others is essential for our happiness.
Better Conversations
By letting others in, you are setting up better conversations. Explaining what you are going through and how you are feeling will lead to more understanding. That understanding will make your make your conversations more worthwhile. When you are open and vulnerable with others, conversations become more productive and beneficial.
You Do Not Have to Tackle Your Challenges By Yourself
Other people can help you through your challenges. There is no law stating you have to do everything on your own. You are not a lone wolf. There are other wolves in your pack. Let other people help you. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign of wisdom.