Published on: October 30, 2017

Ashla Rani

Ashla Rani, Pallium India’s volunteer, writes:

“I think you should accept it gracefully,” said Dr Rajagopal, when someone expressed interest in helping me financially. That was the first time anyone had suggested to me the idea of “accepting help gracefully”. Those were my initial days in Pallium India.

In a recent TED video, Michele L. Sullivan describes how “Asking for help is a strength, not a weakness“. As a person who asks for and receives help from several others on a day-to-day basis, Dr Rajagopal’s and Michele Sullivan’s words have had a huge impact in my life. It takes a lot of courage to accept my helplessness and ask for assistance, whether it is to my best friend or to a stranger. In fact, it takes more courage to accept each one of them with grace and to be grateful at the end of the day for all the help received. And believe me, you are peaceful and your life is beautiful when you are ready to ask for help and accept it gracefully when offered.

Michele has rightly said that empathy is just a concept. The only shoes you can truly walk in are your own. We are all a part of each other’s support networks. With compassion, courage and understanding, we can walk side by side and support one another…

Please watch Michele Sullivan’s talk here: Asking for help is a strength, not a weakness

 

2 responses to “Asking for help is a strength, not a weakness”

  1. Vijayakumar Kotteri says:
    October 31, 2017 at 9:38 am

    As usual, very well put, Ashla!

    I have not watched Michele Sullivan’s talk yet. I agree it takes courage to ask for help knowing you need it. It takes good fortune to receive it. Gratefulness is warranted for all the help you get.

    Perhaps the more difficult part is to remain graceful even if your requests for help are rejected, or worse, ignored. This is when you need even more courage to keep smiling and not to give up.

    Would love to read your views on this.

  2. Sumitha says:
    November 7, 2017 at 6:54 am

    Good that you are helping people to think that asking / receiving help is ones right. It will be more good to hear from you how to remain graceful if sometimes your call for help is rejected as mentioned in the first comment. As a coin has got two sides, if you could write on that, I believe it makes more meaning!!

    Waiting to see your reply blog!!