How Success is often a team effort
Ruth Bader Ginsbergs Advice for Living — Inspirational and demonstrates the need for a good support network.
On reading the inspiring article that Ruth Bader Ginsberg wrote for the New York Times in 1993, I was struck by how down to earth and humble she sounded. Proud of her achievements, she notes that they were made possible by the advice she was given at the time, and from various sources. Listening to the advice did not detract from the obstacles that she got over, or diminish her achievements, but rather helped her to make the right decisions and appreciate her options.
We always see our achievements as our own, but others may have climbed it before
I would encourage anyone setting out to climb their own mountain to read this article and maybe others like it, as we so often feel it is OUR mountain and we have to climb it alone, when in fact the knowledge gained from people who have climbed similar mountains could make all the difference.
As a child I was very independent, I would see assistance of any kind as interference, as if my art teacher had come and drawn over my picture, making it somehow less mine! This is why, at the age of 21 I travelled to Australia and the USA, meeting up with friends and family but essentially on my own! It was a great experience and the lessons learned have stayed with me but although I thought of it as my own adventure, looking back I can see that I had help!
It is only as I have got older and experienced more that I realise how much help I have had, people appeared at the right time to offer me work, a place to stay or a direction to go in!
Do not be scared to ask for help, it does not deminish you
I know I am fortunate to have people around me I can turn to for advice, but almost more important is the knowledge that advice is needed before a great trip, adventure or career change is ventured into. One of the best TED talks I ever listened to was ‘Isolation is the dream killer’ by Barbara Sher. This interesting and inspirational talk is where Barbara recants her time in New York in the 1970’s and 1980’s, working with a group of angry people! This talk highlights how asking for help from any group of people can often get surprising and spectacular results, beyond anything you could imagine for yourself.
It is also worth considering who you ask for help and advice from, if you are having issues with your health, you would go to a doctor or the hospital, but so often I hear that people have had ‘advice’ about their careers from family members, who may know nothing about what they are talking about. It is always good to get advice from many areas, but when you have made a decision about what you want to do, its always best to ask someone who has that experience, my path may have been very different if a wise and intelligent accountant had not taken me under his wing many years ago!
Lastly, to all those independent people like my daughter looking for the way forward, I shall just say this — decide what you want to do, don’t let obstacles ever stop you from doing that thing, and remember that it is our nature to want to help, so if asking for guidance can help you move forward and achieve your goals, don’t be shy.
