I catch sight of one of the art pieces hanging on the wall across from me and freeze.

It's just so timely. I'm kind of puzzled that I didn't see it when I walked in... or, ya know, at any point while I've been sitting here. I tip my head to the side. Huh. It  really has just been staring me in the face. I... uh, wow. I must've been really wrapped up in my thoughts.

There on the wall, surrounded by greens and oranges, blues and yellows, are the words "Look for the helpers."

Of course—

OF COURSE SOMETHING LIKE THAT WOULD BE ON THE WALL.

A snort escapes me. The motion to the right catches my eye and now I'm fully aware that two women walking by most definitely heard me. So I keep my eyes glued to the words on the wall. Maybe they'll think I'm fascinated with the art—which, well, actually I am. But as long as they don't think my sudden sigh of bewildered disdain had anything to do with them, I'm good.

I'd started the morning with reading Cate Hall's new book that she wrote with her husband, Sasha Chapin. I'd been in my office with a cup of coffee, excited to support Cate after following her writing for a while. So with my eyes bopping from word to word, line to line, and page to page, eventually I realized I kind of cruised through a good chunk of it. And then I also discovered I was out of coffee.

So now I'm here, at the coffee shop around the corner, still reading Cate's book, You Can Just Do Things, with a new cup of coffee. Cate's got a knack for flipping my thinking upside down. So when I stumbled upon a particularly poignant prompt listed in this chapter, I sat back.

"What potentially true facts about the world do you refuse to consider because knowing them might require you to change your behavior?"

I mean... ok, damn.

With an exhale, I'd been forced to acknowledge the thought that's been swimming silently along the periphery of my brain for a while now: it's likely I've gone as far as I can go, professionally, without making new connections and asking for help.

Which is right about the time I catch sight of one of the art pieces hanging on the wall across from me. And when I freeze after reading what it says.

"Look for the helpers."

* * *

Are you someone who asks for help, or who goes-it alone?

onward.

For more on this daily column, read the backstory here. And if you know someone who'd appreciate this, pass it along.