Asking for help has always been a challenge for me. I was raised as a helpful and capable human who was well trained to be able to take care of myself and others.
While I am very good at helping others, it turns out that I am a better giver than a receiver! I have even been called ‘hard to help’!
Eight years ago, I discovered restorative yoga. Not achievement yoga, but lie-down-and-dissolve-into-blankets kind of yoga! While the rest is divine, the greatest gift I have received from doing restorative yoga is learning to let other people help me.
It wasn’t easy in the beginning! I thrashed around, convinced I could do it myself and refused the help of the kind assistants that patiently watched on. I settled for what I could manage. One day, my teacher Neal asked me the most wonderful question: “Could you be any more comfortable right now?” It was an invitation to think about how much better things could be, of what was possible.
Over the years of doing restorative yoga, I have learnt many things. I have learnt that when our bodies are fully supported we are able to rest more deeply than if our bodies have discomfort. That by getting your needs met, by asking for a little help, you are then able to rest more efficiently, more deeply than if you just ‘make do’. This learning does not end on the floor under a blanket! I have taken this approach into life and especially into my practice.
One of the most important ingredients in any Thought Leadership practice is support.
A Thought Leaders job is to think, sell, and deliver - ideally anything that does not fall into these categories would be done by someone else.
Your time needs to be spent capturing and curating your thinking. Creating solutions for clients so you can leave the legacy that you were born to make. Selling yourself is also your job. Giving potential clients an opportunity to experience you, an opportunity to buy your IP. Then there is the delivery. The speaking, the training, the coaching that you are doing.
It's a lot! And to do it well, you need support. Imagine having the perfect support person - someone who could fill your gaps, who could have your back, and who could support you to be at your best.
For some of you, this will feel like a land far far away - a magical place where you have the perfect person supporting you to run your practice.
The jump to paying someone else in your practice can be tricky. It feels expensive and indulgent, but it is an essential part of your growth. You quite simply cannot do everything on your own. Well, you can, but not well!
Every minute that you are doing something you are not good at, you are doing the world a disservice! You are wasting time and potential income by trying to save money doing work you hate and things you are no good at!
So what type of support do you need?
The first step is awareness.
Once you know what you want, you need to put in the effort of finding the right person. The amount of effort you put into this process will pay off in spades.
Spend time teaching your person how you roll, what you like, what you don’t like. Involve them in everything. The better they know you, the more they will understand you. Have honest discussions about your practice, your plans, and your preferences. Your practice is an extension of you and it’s important that it feels right for you.
The other vital piece of support is a group of people who understand your journey. People who understand the world you are in. The struggle, the wins, and all the tension in between. I am forever grateful for the support I get from being part of the Thought Leaders community. Being able to reach out to people who can offer me guidance, someone to lean on, and people who inspire me to do, be, and have more!
Being inspired by the company we keep is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves. Surrounding ourselves with people who show us what’s possible might be the best thing ever!
If you want to learn more about Thought Leaders Business School, join us at our next discovery session.
If you've thought about attending one of our discovery sessions but haven't managed to make it yet, you can watch the replay of our last session here.
Lisa O'Neill
CEO