Q. Do we all do this to some degree and if so why?

A. In varying degrees it's difficult for people to ask for help from an outside resource.  The more self-reliant you are the more difficult and challenging it can be to consider the value and benefits or professional assistance.

 

Q. Why are we so stubborn and reluctant to get help, coaching, mentorship or counseling?

A.  As we evolve in life, independence is something that is often stressed in our training and education, therefore, asking for or seeking help is considered a sign of weakness or ignorance.

 

Q. What are the risks of this manner of thinking and what do you potentially jeopardize by remaining in neutral?

A.  Being personally and professionally limited and unable to break out of a bubble or beyond a imaginary ceiling that is created by a lack of awareness and/or knowledge.

 

Q. Why won't we admit it when we are in over our heads and don't have the answers?

A.  We have either learned to protect ourselves by doing so, or out of shear ignorance we don't know that we don't know and we haven't got a clue where to begin in order to transition to a better place.

 

Q.  Why are there such a low percentage of people in the world who will seek out professional help for the personal and professional obstacles in their life?

A.  They are the fortunate ones, they either have no hang ups when it comes to asking for help and they don't really care what other people think, or they have learned that it is a sign of intelligence to be smart enough to know that leveraging resources can accelerate you to a new higher level in life.

 

Q.  What is the price you will potentially pay for your reluctance and who are you harming by remaining ignorant?

A.  The non financial price can be difficult to measure, it will definitely impact you in areas such as life satisfaction, peace of mind, attitude, fulfillment, joy and happiness.  Although income will never buy you happiness it certainly will have a positive impact on the choices you can make when you have more to play with.  The financial price is easier to measure, for example, if you were able to make some changes in your thinking that resulted in an eventual increase in income of $20,000.00 annually (or more) and that increase remained consistent (or grew) for 20 years that would translate into an additional $400,000.00 in earnings over that time period.  Obviously there is no guarantee of this happening (this is just an example) however, depending on where you are in life (your age) and how much you are able to gain from coaching assistance, these figures could easily be more significant.

 

Q.  Why are we so full of pride to the point of stupidity?

A.  It's either hard wired into us as part of our natural make-up or personality, or it has been programmed and conditioned into us by outside influences, like family, the educational system, friends, co-workers etc.

 

Q.  Why are we so cheap that we won't invest a single cent to get the knowledge and advice we need that could ultimately turn things around for the better?

A.  It's either because we are not convinced that such help exists, we are just frugal by nature, we have had a bad experience in the past elsewhere, we are being influenced by other people's opinions (incorrect or insufficient information), we cannot visualize the financial justification or we've not done the math to truly understand how much sense it actually makes.

 

Q.  Are we really so time poor that we can't invest the time to find the answers and remedy the problems or fortify ourselves?

A.  The obvious answer is no!  It's really a matter of prioritizing, we all make time for the activities that we place value on.  If you know it's important, you know it will make a difference and you are committed to it then you will do as others do, you will make the time to fit it into your busy schedule.

 

Q.  Why won't we just admit that we are drowning and that we need a life saver?

A.  Sometimes, it's just easier to remain in a comfort zone even if you are going down with the ship.  It's not uncommon for people to be more motivated to change by desperation than inspiration and unfortunately desperation arrives when we hit rock bottom.

 

Q.  Why do we shut down, withdraw, ignore that there is a problem or bury our heads in the sand?

A.  The human brain has a tendency to go into shut down mode when it becomes overloaded, because there is a lack of self-awareness, an inability to recognize the signs, a shortage of answers, or a lack of coping and/or problem solving skills.  This can be a pattern or learned behaviour that occurs in response to problems of varying intensity.

 

Q.  Why do we pour ourselves into other activities or diversions that sometimes make the situation even worse?

A.  It's a diversionary tactic that to some extent can be helpful for restoration and rejuvenation however, when it is done to excess in order to ignore a problem or challenge that must eventually be addressed this behaviour can be harmful and destructive.

 

Q.  Why do we often wait to the point of desperation, crisis or until it's too late before doing something?

A.  We can allow our pride and ego to cloud good sense and judgement.  A lack of knowledge, tools and resources to resolve certain or specific problems can cause some people to shut down for an excessive period, eventually bringing them to the brink.  Some people just choose to live this way, ignoring problems in hopes that they will go away or take care of them selves.

 

Q.  Why do we ignore the subtle hints or pleas of our spouse, family, friends, colleagues, employers, supervisors, authority figures and even experts?

A.  Ignorance or unwillingness to accept their feedback or opinions.  We lack respect for their input, we don't trust their judgement or we think we know what's best and consciously or unconsciously turn a deaf ear to what they are trying to tell us.  Living in denial, an attitude of indifference, suffering from self pity, shear ignorance or a stubborn reluctance to accept any input from outside sources.

 

Q.  Why do we allow the situation to spiral out of control to the point of no return?

A.  We don't know any better, it's more comfortable, we've resigned ourselves to the fact that it's inevitable, or we've never experienced the rewards that can come from reaching out for professional help.

 

If you are ready to take professional strides forward congratulations for taking the first step!  Read on...