Self Seeking vs. Help Seeking
Why walking a fine line between the two worlds might be necessary, and how it can be just as dangerous if you aren't careful. Tap in.
I wouldn’t hesitate to call myself a good friend. I try to stay true to the bonds I have, that have helped to grow me as well as represent a safe space through the highs and lows of my own evolution. It’s important to me to reciprocate that since it does in fact take a village to not only raise a child, but to sustain the whole village. Growing from a young, we all obviously go from being overtly dependent to eventually [ideally] becoming fully independent, in the sense that we can then curate our influences and behaviors and environments.
Breakdowns of Maya Angelou’s I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings talk about the bird singing being a metaphor for the human spirit’s resilience, and it’s thirst for freedom in spite of being trapped. Regardless of what culture you’re from, what party you align with, or what generational cohort you’re apart of, I’m willing to bet that you in some way can relate to that sentiment. I think help seeking and self seeking as respective behaviors can pave a way toward a solution, but I also will use this opportunity to explain the dangers of walking down a half lit road. Which these two are.
Self seeking [SS] being more associated negatively, with things like selfishness and vanity obviously, I feel a need to shed some shine on that first. SS behavior is said to be actions driven primarily by personal gain with a lack of concern for the wellbeing or detriment of others, while advocates of SS behavior claim to have felt a improved self esteem & greater motivation to set boundaries and achieve personal aspirations. Makes me think of a question Nipsey asked: “Would you rather be at war with yourself and at peace with the world? Or at peace with yourself and at war with the world?”
Help seeking [HS] behavior, is on the other hand representative of the process of requesting or searching for assistance from others when facing a problem of obstacle. As we all should, right? I definitely think so. The apparent dangers, though, include falling victim to stigma or embarrassment, lack of control and even breaches of confidentiality. So not only could I not get the help I’m looking for, but I also can lose touch with what I think is possible or important or valuable? That’s wayyyy too expensive. Clearly, both being self seeking and help seeking can present some risks but only in a equitable balance can sustainability be accomplished.
Being help seeking in the right environment can reveal to me that more is possible instead of less, and that I’m more important and valuable that even I realize, and not less. Being self seeking in the right ways can make me impervious to certain temptations or impulses, and reveal to me I’ve been aiming too low all along in seeking validation from others. As this world evolves faster day in and day out, it’s growing imperative that we analyze ourselves with a fine eye and live with fluidity and in Harmony.
Thank you all for supporting me, and sharing this space with me. Please refer this newsletter to a reader friend, or anyone you think would align with this message.
‘Til next time!