Late in July, I absentmindedly turned the wheel of my car, hit a curb and tore a hole in the tire. My car limped along while I struggled to find a parking place on the narrow streets in an older part of Columbus, Ohio. Now sweltering in my car, I used the AAA app to get help changing the tire. (I know. I know. I should know how to do this.) The app reported back that a technician would be there in about 170 minutes – approximately 9:44 PM. I seriously could walk home much faster than that. I was exhausted and hot. I did not want to wait that long for a simple tire change.

I swallowed a little pride and texted a friend who I thought would have tire-changing skills. He responded almost immediately and said he’d get there in 15-20 minutes. Woo-Hoo!

In the meantime, I got another text saying that roadside assistance would be there in 15 minutes. Wow! What an unexpected change. I texted my friend and caught him just before he left the house. Fifteen minutes later, Rob, the patient AAA technician, got there and had me on the road 10 minutes after that. 

The whole tire-changing debacle felt a lot like this past year and a half of starting a business. I hurry up a lot for people who seem interested in what I do and then wait. Then, suddenly, a bunch of people want coaching or training. In between the hurry up and the waiting, I make a bunch of mistakes and am forced to ask for help … something I do not want to do.

Asking for help forced me to realize the abundance that is actually right at hand, but often remains unused. When I ask for help, I find people who teach me about effective marketing. Others have offered what they know about writing a business plan and managing expenses and intake of money. I’ve found willing collaborators who might otherwise see themselves as competitors.

Though my balance sheet still isn’t in the black, my resources are abundant. At every turn, I have found experts, small business organizations, friends and colleagues willing to support me in any way they can. I have connected with many people this past 18 months who are curious and excited about my vision for supporting mindful leaders who want to make an impact in the world.

So, the next time you are overwhelmed, allow yourself to feel it and then ask for help. Take it from me: It’s much better than suffering in scarcity alone. Here’s a practice to help you along the way: 

Birthday Abundance: During my birthday month of August, I always celebrate some theme that has emerged in the past year, and abundance is the theme of 2021. I haven’t always felt that business was abundant, but what I needed was always there if I asked for it. Join me in celebrating my birthday month of abundance with a weekly yoga class (Wednesdays), a back to school yoga restorative (Aug. 15), and a happy hour networking celebration (Aug. 24).