Chapter 16

With a Little Help from Our Friends

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.

—African Proverb

No one can be successful solely on his or her own.

There are different levels of friendship, but the friends who will help you achieve your goals are the ones who really matter in life. Having a large social graph certainly can help you achieve your goals, but your inner circle of friends are the ones who will challenge, encourage, and support you the most.

When you set off on something challenging and amazing, you are not going to be able to do it alone. The Beatles had it right when they sang, “with a little help from my friends.”

Sure, you can go it alone and try to push through everything, but your chances of succeeding are greatly diminished if you do. Asking for help can be awkward, but friends would rather you ask than see you fail. Always keep that in mind.

This doesn’t mean cashing in every favor or depending on your friends to do the work for you, because that isn’t going to be successful either. You’ve still got to do the work, and they will help you where they can—but only if you ask them specifically for help.

And remember, help comes in many flavors. Different friends can provide different types of help to you, and you’ll only learn this by asking for help and over time.

Stop for a moment and think about everything you are hoping to accomplish. Which of your friends might be able to assist in the smallest of ways?

Write it all down ...

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