Asking for Help Is a Skill — Not a Failure

By Alejandra González

There are moments in life when pushing forward is no longer the wisest option.

Moments when effort alone doesn’t solve things.

When money feels tight.

When a situation feels bigger than our current capacity.

When continuing to do everything on our own starts to cost us more than it gives.

In those moments, asking for help isn’t weakness.

It’s discernment.

Knowing When to Pause

Many of us were taught that strength means handling everything ourselves.

That needing support is something to outgrow.

But real maturity looks different.

It looks like recognizing when continuing to push will lead to exhaustion, resentment, or injury — physical or emotional.

It looks like knowing when to pause instead of forcing an outcome.

Asking for help is often that pause.

A Skill We Practice in Riding

In riding, this becomes very clear.

Good riders don’t insist on figuring everything out alone.

They ask questions.

They seek guidance.

They adjust their approach when something isn’t working.

Not because they are incapable —

but because they are committed.

Knowing when to ask for help is part of riding with responsibility and integrity.

Releasing the Guilt

For many people, the hardest part isn’t asking for help — it’s receiving it without guilt.

Without apologizing.

Without shrinking.

Without feeling like we owe something back immediately.

But help offered with care is not a burden.

It’s part of how humans function together.

Receiving support with gratitude — not guilt — keeps the exchange honest and balanced.

Staying in the Long Game

Asking for help is how we stay in the long game.

It’s how we protect our bodies so we can keep riding.

How we protect our energy so we don’t burn out.

How we make wiser decisions when resources — emotional, physical, or financial — are limited.

This isn’t about doing less.

It’s about choosing sustainability over force.

A Different Definition of Strength

Strength isn’t carrying everything alone.

Strength is knowing when support is needed —

and allowing it.

That choice doesn’t make you smaller.

It makes you more precise.

More responsible.

More aware.

And that, too, is a skill worth practicing.

With love and awareness,

Ale