While there’s nothing wrong with independence, there’s something wrong with missing the collaborative power of humanity.  There is something to be said for being able to ask for help when you need it! 

A lot of my clients have gone to great lengths to be able to do everything themselves.  Cooking, cleaning, raising kids, running businesses, taking charge of their health, even doing their own taxes.  DIY culture is powerful and empowering.  There is great freedom in not needing help.  However, help can make your life incredibly more balanced.  For example…

Hiring an assistant can revolutionize your life. Even if you can’t afford a full-time assistant, a helper for a few hours a week when you are slammed can make all the difference in your focus and ability to put your energy where you need it most!

Finding a nutritionist or trainer can make your world run better. You might not have the time or energy to research the best diets and find the best methods to create and maintain a healthy body.  I have friends who “indulged” even far before they could truly afford either professional, and it was a turning point in their fitness and wellness overall.

A therapist or counseling group can make your mind more clear. I know, shrinks get a bad rap.  Sometimes you just need an objective place to dump your problems and sort out the muck.  Friends are awesome for this as well, if they are good friends, but sometimes a little objective advice can make a huge difference.

Taking a class to learn whatever you don’t know or hiring an expert to help you can fill in the blanks and take you to the next level.  I am very impressed by people who take the time to figure out how to do just about every aspect of a project themselves, like my friend who created his own website from scratch with no prior knowledge of coding, the people who teach themselves how to repair their own plumbing… or even fix their own car. But when you are stuck and overwhelmed, if you refuse to get help, you are more likely to quit because you can’t quite figure out how to move forward.  A little expert help can create an even more awesome product in the end, with much less torment.

A mastermind-group of advisors can help you to overcome hurdles. Assemble experts if you have a big problem to solve or a big project to manage, and call upon them when you need advice.  I have wellness & Buddhist mastermind-groups, and I have them well-stocked with the most awesome people around.  I am enormously grateful to these people and  I do it for others, too, acting as part of their own “wellness expert” groups.  This does not have to be formal, but it is really important to have people who know what they are talking about around you!!!

Even hiring a professional cleaning person once a week can be fabulously liberating. Cooking, too. You don’t need to be a billionaire to have someone come and cook for you once a week if you are on a special diet or have no free time, or cleaning if you are overwhelmed at work and your house becomes a shambles quickly.  Cooking, cleaning and running errands can be a full-time job. If you have a full-time job, be open to the idea of getting help if you live in a mess or just can’t stick to your diet!

In feng shui, “Helpful People” is the common name for the quadrant of the bagua map also known as “Compassion” located at the far right along the wall that contains your entrance door.  If you store stuff in this area, you may be less receptive to accepting help or be imbalanced in the help-department.  If this area is filled with too much fire (tremendous amounts of candles, strong lights, red paint, etc) you may have help quickly burn out of your life.  Lots of fire element is great to create action but that fiery action is difficult to sustain.  Keep this area clean, clear and WELCOMING.  After all, even one helpful person can open up your life tremendously, and this Helpful People area is DIRECTLY RELATED to your personal empowerment and WEALTH in feng shui.

align the bottom of the map with the wall of your home or room that contains the entrance door.

And, always, helping others is just as powerful in creating empowerment. Helping others also feels great! But be willing to accept help, too.  That’s the way to keep your energy in good flow!

xoxo Dana