Recently, while at the gym, I met a man who has special needs and learned he also rides a bike. We shared our experiences and how careless many drivers are here in our state. He began sharing his limitations and how most people act like he is stupid.
Our conversation began over biking, but I cannot help but empathize with him over how he gets treated because of his differences. I could almost hear his inner need for help as he talked about other things he needed:
- Food
- A job
- Biking lights
- Encouragement
- Motivation
I understand how it feels to have a disability and/or physical limitations. To be afraid to ask for help. I will never forget how embarrassed I felt nearly thirty years ago when I was in the hospital and fell off the commode in my hospital room.
I had no choice but to ask for help getting up from the floor. Despite being in my early twenties, I was reluctant to ask family or friends to help me with basic things I could no longer do (i.e., eating, bathing, simply standing up and walking).
As suicide prevention month ends this week, I want to encourage anyone who needs help to reach out for it from anyone and everyone who is near you. If you are ashamed, then please call the suicide prevention hotline at 988. Please understand no one is an island.
What Is an Island
Most of us like to think we are self-sufficient and can manage life on our own, but the truth is, we all need help at some point in life. That is why we cannot isolate ourselves like an island. Island is defined as, “An isolated group or area: land surrounded by water and cut off from the mainland.”
Suffering a brain injury at a young age made me learn how to ask others for help. I could not easily do simple tasks on my own in the early days. Still today, I struggle with some activities and staying focused.
This time of year can be especially difficult for me, as my seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D.) creeps back into my psyche. Life can be difficult enough without having a brain injury. That is why people with disabilities have a strong need for support network/groups. Writers have a similar need.
Writing Community
It’s no secret that the writing journey is a long and difficult path. It’s also not uncommon for writers to resist asking for help. Many writers feel it is unprofessional to reach out for help. However, as one of my writing mentors told me years ago, “Every writer has to start as a newbie, learn the craft, and work their way up. Becoming an experienced and published writers happens over time.”
Fortunately, the writing community is more than willing to help new and struggling writers on their journey. Below are ten areas of help:
- Critiques
- Beta reading
- Mentorship
- Accountability
- Shared challenges
- Emotional support
- Craft discussions
- Industry insights
- Networking
- Writing aids
I am a firm believer in doing to others as you hope to have done to you. That is why I am more than willing to help others in any way I can, especially when it comes to overcoming obstacles or struggles.
Unfortunately, many people don’t want help or advice; they are more concerned about doing things their way, even if it isn’t working.
We see this a lot in the writing community; newbies think all it takes is a great idea or concept for the gates to publishing to open and welcome them into the writing community. I have said it many times before, because it was drilled into me, there are no shortcuts to publishing success. ” Sorry, it’s just not that easy.”
Easy Peasy
Unfortunately, we live in a time when everyone wants to take the path of least resistance and fails to grow in many ways (spiritually, physically, and mentally). There are entire generations that have failed to learn that struggles and hardship strengthen us and help us grow as people. Struggles and hardship help us grow, just like resistance strengthens and helps develop muscle tone and endurance as we strive to become healthier. However, with the onset of weight loss medication, people want quick and easy results and are willing to take shortcuts to get the health results they want (steroids, weight loss pills, dehydration).
We often grow stronger through struggles and hardships, and are more prepared for the road ahead. If you aren’t getting the results in an area that you want, change things up and make sure you’re not looking for the easy way out:
- Physically
- Spiritually
- Vocationally
- Mentally
The disabled community, like the writing community, is a treasure trove of wisdom and encouragement for others.
People in the gym are willing to offer tips and spot those working with weights trying to get healthier. We’ve all been confused and struggled when just starting out on a health journey. Likewise, most writers help other writers because they, too, understand that no one is an island!
Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at MartinThomasJohnson.com and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.
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