It’s hard to trust when you’ve had family, friends, and relationships that have let you down. We develop lots of baggage and chips off of our heart that leave us more fragile than we once were.

We assume that people are secretly speaking ill of us or we assume that we are a burden or imposition, or that people are just being nice because their manners dictate they must. The reality is, this is highly unlikely.

People want the best for you. People want to help you. Your friends want opportunities to support you and see you succeed. I pointed this out in a conversation with a younger friend this week. She was so apologetic asking for a minor amount of help in a thing that was quite easy to help with. I gave her advice that I myself received from a friend decades ago:

Me: Do you think it is an imposition when people ask you for help?

Her: No of course not, I love helping people.

Me: Why would you think it’s any different for anyone else?

The reality is, we’re not special. We’re not outliers. People like helping and feeling useful. We like getting to be part of one another’s stories. This is how you build community and interconnectedness.

If you think, just as often as you assume people are speaking negatively about you behind your back, that other people are speaking positively about you, your world can shift. There are more people out there rooting for your success than your failure.

I truly believe the world is a net positive. There are more people wanting others to succeed than their are trying to sabotage others. Focus on the positive. Assume people are rooting for you the way you are rooting for others. Assume people are willing to help the same way you are willing to help them. And LET THEM HELP YOU. The root of support and interconnectedness is that everyone can help and everyone can accept help. Do both.

Let people root for you. Even if you don’t know about it, know that it’s out there. Know that people have good wishes for your success. Rely on that and see how it changes your mindset.

People are rooting for you.