Reaching Out

Today, I feel drawn to talk about reaching out. Why is it so hard for us to reach out for help? It may be because we don't want to show our vulnerability. We don't want to appear weak or not together. Maybe it's because we don't want to bother anyone. I wonder if it's a self-esteem issue, that we think, "my need couldn't be as important as your needs, so I don't want to ask you to help me when you're so busy."

Or here's another one, "what if I do ask for help, and they reject my asking?" Oh, maybe they're just busy, but if they did say no, that could feel worse than if you hadn't asked in the first place. So there is an element of Trust in the asking, I believe.

It's an act of courage to risk asking. But the rewards are many. For both parties. If we start with the premise that we're all one, we're all God made manifest, then when we ask a friend for help, we are asking God.

Do you think God is too busy on her cell phone to pick up our call? Never! (God is the Ultimate Multi-tasker)
Do you think God would feel bothered by our reaching out? Never!
Do you think God would ever say no to our asking? Never!

The other side of the coin is to think about the recipient. It can feel really good to be asked to help someone. It is an honor. The recipient may feel more valued, needed, and useful. It may be a true gift to them. They may actually benefit as much as you.

I think of "reaching out," then, as "reaching for God." It is an act of love.
You are loving yourself by asking, and the friend is given the opportunity to love you and be there for you. Both are enriched by the heartwarming experience.


Your asking may be just what you both needed...By sharing what you're going through, it also creates a safe space for the recipient to say, "hey, I've been going through something like that, too."


My spiritual teacher once said, "look at the people around you, because you just don't know who cried themselves to sleep last night."

I believe we were put on this Earth to love one another.

So, reach out and touch somebody you love...