There are certain traits that people need to cultivate if they want to become the best version of themselves – confidence trusting their intuition, taking responsibility and taking risks, are some of the basics.
However, according to with Steve Jobs there is one part that is often overlooked and is more important than anything else.
A simple tactic that people know that often makes their dreams come true, according to Steve Jobs, is to ask for help.
In a 1994 interview, Jobs emphasized that this practice led him to success. He insists that asking for help allowed him to live his dreams.
“Actually, I’ve always found something very true, that most people don’t get these experiences because they don’t ask for them,” he said.
“I’ve never met anyone who didn’t want to help me when I asked”he continued.
His message is meant to inspire, and it is true, but it is important to note that there are elements that make it difficult for others to access the kind of help that he was able to ask for and receive.
However, Jobs’ guidance was good. Asking for support from the people around us is what helps us succeed. This, of course, does not mean that it is easy to do.
In one article Writing for Psychology Today, psychologist Joan Rosenberg, Ph.D., writes: “Most people raised in cultures that emphasize individualism, such as the United States, are often raised to believe that depending on others and asking for help is a burden and makes you weak. Despite these views, in the end there is very little that each of us can do to be completely successful on our own, even if it is hard to recognize. You need freedom and confidence – not one or the other.’
on video from 1994 Steve Jobs remembers that when he was 12 years old he called Bill Hewlett, the engineer and co-founder of Hewlett-Packard.
“Hello, I’m Steve Jobs, I’m 12 years old”he remembered what was said during the call. “I am a student and I want to make a frequency counter. I was wondering if you had any parts I could have.’
“He laughed and gave me the parts to make this frequency counter and gave me a job that summer at Hewlett-Packard, on the assembly line. Installer of nuts and bolts of frequency counters”he said. “I’m in heaven.”
“I’ve never had anyone say no or hang up when I called,” Jobs added. “I’m just asking. If you are afraid of failure.”
Jobs explained that when he reached the top of his industry, he made it his goal to help others, saying: “When people ask me, I try to answer as much as I can, you know, to pay that debt of gratitude. Most people never pick up the phone and don’t ask HELP. And that’s what separates, sometimes, the people who make their dreams come true from those who only dream about them.
“You have to act”he concluded. “And you have to be willing to fail. You have to be willing to crash and burn people on the phone, about starting a company or whatever. If you’re afraid to fail, you won’t get very far.”
We’ve learned that asking for help can show weakness, but – as the story of Steve Jobs proves – it doesn’t. It is an act of strength and courage and you never know how far you can go.