Do you find it difficult to ask someone for a favor?
In a world of independence and where making it on one’s own is revered, asking for a favor can often feel like a sign of weakness. No one wants to appear as if they can not do something. However, none of us can live in this world without the assistance of another. There are significant benefits to asking someone for a favor.
If you want to make a friend, let someone do you a favor ~ Benjamin Franklin
Take a minute and think about the level of trust you must have in someone if you are going to ask them for a favor. Being asked for a favor can make one feel valued and appreciated. Additionally, if you are asking for a favor, the person who you are asking is more likely to ask you for one in return someday. Taking this first step of asking for a favor can lead to developing a stronger relationship.
I have found that many do not want to ask favors due to feeling like they would be burdening the other person or as stated above, it shows some sign of weakness. However, I believe that by nature humans do want to help each other and are genuinelly happy when asked.
Over the years, I have become much more comfortable at asking for favors. As I grew up in a home with a strong, independent mother, it was modeled to do most everything on my own with very little assistance. As a result, often with great stress, I would go out of my way to accomplish things on my own.
We can not live in this world without the support, assistance and favors of our friends, families and often strangers. There is no weakness in asking someone to help you.
Here are a list of favors I have asked.
- I asked my Mom’s neighbor to take her to radiation treatments. (This was very difficult because as a caregiver I felt like I need to be doing everything.). The neighbor was more than happy to help.
- A local “big time” blogger (and friend) met with me in the beginning stages of this blog to answer my questions and provide guidance. Again, she was more than happy to help me and share her knowledge.
- I reached out to a friend of friend who is in private practice when I began to consider starting my own business. I had only met her a few times but she has met with me (and continues to) and provides guidance, support and cheerleading.
- After being asked to submit an online magazine post, I needed someone other than my husband to be an editor. My friend didn’t hesitate to look at my work.
- Rather than attempt to complete all of my errands or tasks, I regularly ask my husband to do me a favor and pick up items at the grocery store or do something for me around the house. It is not all my responsibility and he doesn’t mind doing these things if I ask him.
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Starbucks employees often ask each other to “Can you do me a favor……. ” when tasks need to be accomplished. The author of this book states it feels different to clean the bathroom when someone presents it as a favor rather than someone one must do. Asking your family to do you a favor and put up the dishes, make the bed or put away the laundry may make all of the different.
Do you find it difficult at times to ask someone to do you a favor?
Ask for one favor in the upcoming week and let me know how it goes.
Try This At Home is a weekly series. This series is inspired by Gretchen Rubin’s Happier Podcast where she makes her own try this at home suggestions to make life happier and easier at home. Weekly, I share my own successes and failures as I work towards creating a happier and healthier life.
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