A client once told me a story about a mother duck and her baby. They were lost and starving, and the Department of Natural Resources was searching for them to provide shelter and food. To save them.
But the mother duck did not want to be found. Why? Because as my client said, “They think their survival depends on hiding and not being found.”
Sound like anyone you know?
The Trouble with Asking for Help
Asking for help is incredibly difficult. Believing that it is actually the right decision and that it will work may be even harder.
Because seeking help means submitting. Surrendering our control. Losing that sense of safety we created by hunkering down and trying to deal with everything ourselves.
Giving in feels like giving up, and human beings were not built to go down with the ship. Seeking help means trusting that others — other forces, other people — might just be better equipped to provide us with the help we need.
Like the duck, we prioritize our own control of the situation above actually finding a happy resolution.
But there are loving forces out there. There are people offering compassion, redemption, and a way out. You just have to be willing to come out of hiding and ask for it.
And you can. Because you’re not a duck.