The Power of Asking for Help
I was in middle school the first time I cheated on a hearing test.
I remember sitting in a chair on stage in the school theater and realizing I couldn't hear the tones in the headphones.
I panicked briefly, but then I realized I could still hear the clicking of the switches on the switchboard.
So whenever I heard a click but couldn't hear a tone, I faked it. I guessed which ear the tone was in based on the pattern the tester was using and raised that hand.
And here's the thing - it worked.
---
For more than 20 years, I adapted - reading body language, tone, and expressions, relying on my sharp memory, and using predictive and deductive skills to understand what was being said.
My parents, siblings, classmates, teachers, friends, and co-workers didn't know - because I never mentioned it, and I never reached out for help.
I was used to figuring things out on my own.
It wasn't until my mid-30s when all my adaptations just weren't working as well as they used to.
I couldn't understand my 2-year-old from his car seat in the backseat while I was driving. Discerning what my husband was saying to me from one room away, or in the same room when my back was turned, was getting tougher.
---
I was 34 weeks pregnant with our second kiddo, and I knew it was time to get help.
As I sat in the audiologist's chair, I willed myself to be honest about what I could - and couldn't - hear. I didn't try to strain or fake it.
I knew getting the right help was dependent on me being honest about where I was struggling and where I needed support.
What she said to me as she shared my results will stick with me forever -- "It's remarkable how much you can understand given how little you can hear."
The diagnosis was moderate-to-severe cookie bite hearing loss. Neither the audiologist nor the doctor could offer a definitive answer of how or why it happened, but the good news was that I was a great candidate for hearing aids.
I remember sitting there in the office processing the fact that I had spent so many years - and so much energy and brain power - working extra hard to understand what I was hearing.
That this help was out there waiting for me - I just had to get the courage to ask for it.
And that getting the help I needed - the right trusted advisors, tools and support - would free up so much time, energy, and focus spent on "trying to hear" that I could use for so many other things in my life and work.
---
If you're a nonprofit or social impact leader, here's what I hope you'll take away from this:
You don't have to do it alone.
The right help is out there.
The sooner you ask for and open yourself up to help, the sooner you'll get access to the right advisors, tools, and support to help you achieve your goals and make your load lighter.
Don't know where to start? Send us an email. We'll figure it out together.
Interested in what people are saying about this idea? Join the conversation on LinkedIn.