Have I got some nuggets of perspective for you today!
About a month ago, my son and I had to abruptly move from our place to another that was around the corner. Not far enough to drive, but far enough to clock 17,000 steps in one day of moving…not to mention that moving isn’t an easy feat. We definitely needed some help.
Why oh why is it so difficult to ask for help? And in the same breathe, why do we assume that people should just know that we need help. Again…multiple nuggets of perspective. I’m telling you, if you are open to receive the perspective, get ready, because it will come at you in waves.
It is extremely humbling for me to ask for help (plus I’m a tad stubborn – what a combo). I was reminded once again during this moving process to simply ASK FOR HELP. I did, and my friends and family were there for me. Although, I was handed a little more deeper perspective, hence the title of this blog. Are you a joy stealer? I mean, does someone offer help and you deny them? Does someone offer to buy you dinner and you fight over the bill? Does someone offer you a ride and you say, that’s OK, I’ll take an Uber. Please stop doing this. Here are two recent examples of joy stealing…
I was selling something on Facebook Marketplace and the woman and her family came to pick it up. I ended up offering to give her a few more items and she asked if she could give me an extra $5, she expressed that she didn’t have much but wanted to give me something. I declined the $5. When re-telling the story to a friend, she asked how I would have felt if the shoe was on the other foot. How do you think that made her FEEL? She was trying to give a form of gratitude with what she could offer, knowing that the value was far greater, and I denied her of that. Whoa!
Secondly, don’t make up other people’s minds for them. If someone offers a helping hand, accept it. I turned down help because I felt they were too tired and had too much on their plate. Who am I to make that decision? I robbed them of their joy. I was reminded to treat others how I want to be treated and I don’t like it when someone else tries to manage my time or to do list. If I offer help, I genuinely want to help that person – it brings me joy. I don’t like being told ‘no you can’t help me’, that hurts my feelings…I did exactly that. I stole joy.
When writing my blogs I search for images and quotes that speak to me. I typed in ‘joy stealer quotes’ and this quote from Theodore Roosevelt popped up (below). Then I went down a complete rabbit hole. When you deny help, are you comparing yourself to someone else…perhaps thinking they will judge you and think you are weak because you are asking and/or accepting help? Hmmmm….something to think about for sure. Please don’t compare yourself to anyone and rob YOURSELF of your very own joy of just being you! You are a gift to this world – treat yourself like one.
Take away number one – ASK for and ACCEPT help…the answer is simply please and thank you. Take away number two – don’t compare yourself to ANYONE…PERIOD. Comparison is truly the thief of joy.
Let’s make a pact to stop stealing joy from others (and our own selves), we certainly don’t do it intentionally, but it probably happens more than we care to admit. Go buy yourself some flowers and as always, thank you for being on this journey with me – together we can make a difference in our own lives and in the lives of others. Cheers to an epic 2026!
