Ask for Help

Tolulope Ajayi
4 min readMay 14, 2021

Help is nothing to be ashamed of

I have come to realize for a fact that every and anyone who made it “big” didn’t exactly do it alone.

I know you are probably on a terrain of a self-made journey, You are looking to bag some accolades that you rose and stood very tall all alone and by yourself.

(Laughs)

It looks and sounds just very intriguing and commendable actually.

The truth is that you could try it on your own, but chances are someone you know has tried it before and can give you some tips to save you a lot of time and headache. You don’t need to be a hero every day. Let someone else contribute to your hero-ing and save you some time.

Now I think that you are a Hero if you get some help and get it done faster than others.

One of the many reasons you don’t ask for help is because you don’t want people to think that you are “weak” or let me put it in a different word, you are afraid of what people will say.

There is this particular perception you want from people which is different from your actual perception. You want them to think that you own a car when you can’t actually afford a wheel spanner.

Laughs,

My guy, why did you want people to think that you have an iPhone when you can’t afford its charger. You are actually doing too much and that is why you will feel somehow when you need help and you have no one to run to.

Your motivation to achieve your “Selfmade” certificate is just a little thing that bothers me. (I am not exactly bothered, I am just concerned.). I am scared if it’s a pride or courage issue.

You see, courage is a muscle and it gets stronger every time we use it. So, each time we flex our courage muscles and ask for help, it gets slightly easier. I don’t mean you should be courageous and be a bug ooo.

To be honest, Some people will think that you are weak when you ask them for help. It’s fine. Don’t care about people who do not see any strength in you when you ask for help. It’s not their fault and takes no offense as it is not everyone that comes around you that you will also help.

Some people are willing to risk what they have if only they know you need some help

The people who care about you will want to help if you let them. The internet today has made it very easy to be deliberate and reach the world, with just a simple 140 character tweet, someone with 140,000KM distance far away can come to your aid. I am not talking about help relating to all these online Instagram giveaways from some celebrities and influencers oo.

I remembered my first Digital Marketing job, I just posted on my Whatsapp Status that I need a Digital Marketing job before (NYSC) National Youth Service Corps starts calling. Someone on my WhatsApp status immediately forwarded an opportunity for me and the employer immediately called me before I even applied. I resumed the next day.

Upon resumption on the first day, locating the office address was a hell of a thing as I kept walking around the street without asking for help, I realized that it doesn’t make any sense for me to be sweating profusely on the first day at work and I eventually resulted into asking for help and clarity with direction came.

As I asked my new colleagues some basic questions about understanding my new office terrain and workflow, I figured that the Last person in my new role was fired a few days ago and I am a replacement. While my colleagues were trying to tell me what to do and how to do, I was basically thinking of reaching out to my predecessor who just got fired because I think if I must succeed here, I need her help.

I reached out to her on LinkedIn and told her about my experience and how much I needed her help. She came through and helped as much as she could. I implemented her ideas and I became a genius in the office with a series of appraisals and positive comments from my Line Manager.

You need to shout for help by doing something first, Be seen ready and prepared, Be sincere and be humble, Be grateful when they eventually come through for you.

If you are thinking of going far, then you are not going on a lone ranger.

Imagine C Ronaldo on a football field without another team member who plays other functions that he doesn’t play as a footballer.

Imagine if he wasn’t given the opportunity to feature at his first football appearance when he played for Clube Desportivo Nacional of Madeira, I am sure he wouldn’t be transferred to Sporting Clube de Portugal without that initial help and opportunity. Ronaldo played for various youth teams before making his debut on Sporting’s first team in 2002 and then Sporting brought him to the attention of Europe’s biggest football clubs. — his launch in Manchester United in 2003.

See ehn, great Olympic athletes, corporate leaders, business moguls, and world leaders all have a team of people helping them.

I really hope you find this helpful.

Let me know.

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Tolulope Ajayi

Digital Marketer | Business and Brand Strategist | Data Scientist