Supporters

I believe that whenever you set out to do something important you start from one of three places. 1) You're doing it all by yourself. 2) You've got support from a few people, but you're noticing that a majority of the people you know don't really seem half as excited as you are. Or 3) You're excited, your friends are excited, your family is excited, and you've got more support and encouragement than you know what to do with.

Let's take a look at these.

In the first case, where you're doing it alone, it's usually by choice and it's usually because you're afraid. Maybe you're not sure you can do it and you don't want to face up to anyone and have to say "I quit" so you're just keeping it to yourself for now. Or maybe you're afraid that people will reject your request for support and encouragement. You worry that if you ask anyone for help you'll find yourself with the door slammed shut in your face and your illusions of friendship shattered.

There are many reasons we have for being afraid to ask for support when we're doing something important. Some of them are realistic, based on past experiences or an understanding of the people currently in your life. Many of them are unrealistic, made-up scenarios that we've nurtured until they become the monsters under our beds. All of them hold you back.

My dear friends, you are too precious to live in fear! Nothing great, nothing of any true value, is done alone. You and I are human beings created to work together with other human beings and that's a beautiful thing. Embrace it! Otherwise, you will surely find yourself failing and quitting before much time has passed.

The second starting point is more common. Many people get excited about a new project or endeavor - a business idea, a desire to lose weight, a really cool project - and ask everyone they already know for help. out of this pool they find a few people who are excited with them and willing to support them, but they also find many people who just don't seem to care. Unfortunately, the latter group is usually populated by our closest family members and sometimes even our dearest friends.

If you're in this boat, press on! Find the people who support you and allow that support to bolster and uplift you, disregarding whatever negative may come from the other side of the peanut gallery. Someone will always oppose what you're doing, so don't let them steal your desire to succeed!

The third group is a wonderful place to be. If you are here, you have done a splendid job of carefully honing your association (something we'll talk about more in-depth later). Everyone you have surrounded yourself with loves you and encourages you. They're excited that you're excited! And they want to do everything they can to help you along the way.

Treasure these people. When everyone supports you it can become difficult to see the value in the support, but that does not make it any less important. Through thick and thin, we need each other to help us gain and regain perspective and motivation. No one can do it alone, but if you're surrounded on all sides by supporters then you are indeed a very blessed person.

Regardless of where you're starting from, you can begin. Don't let any circumstance hold you back, because there will never be a perfect time to do anything that's worth doing. If you are alone or don't have as much support as you would like, begin anyway and search for people who will support you. Don't be afraid to use your desire to improve your life as a starting place for new friendships. Some of the most beautiful relationships between people started because they shared a mutual interest.

A word of caution here:

If you are married or in a serious relationship, please be sure to focus on gaining supporters of the same sex as you. There is a lot of emotional bonding that goes on when someone comes alongside you in an important project, and when that project is to improve yourself there is also a lot of natural intimacy and vulnerability. Do not allow your desire to improve, create a situation where you are sowing seeds of potential discontent in your marriage. Whether you think you can handle it or not, do not allow people into your inner circle who could even be perceived from the outside as a problem or a threat to your marriage. It's better to not let those issues start in the first place, than to have to work through them later. And keep in mind, growing together can be a wonderful experience for couples to go through!

Armed with your support group, you can take on the world! When you're down they will lift you. When you stumble they will catch you. When you get turned around they will point you in the right direction. And when you stand at the finish line, you'll be able to look back at them and honestly say "I'm here, because of you."

How wonderful it is to have these people in our lives!