D.I.Y. and asking for help


Last week I did a speech for the program Mentoring & Sparring. The subject was Mentoring, what it is and when/why you would need it. Years ago I would have thought that I don’t need it, I can sort out everything myself. I love to do things myself, it gives me a great feeling of independence, especially when I head to new directions.

During my life I often choose new direction. I grew up on a small farm in Germany. When 10 years old I went to gymnasium. A test would decide if I could better take Latin or English as first foreign language. The test didn’t come with a clear result for me, so I could choose. Thinking “Let’s try something different”, I choose Latin – even when I discovered that all the other three classmates from the old school choose English. My parents supported me. Two years before finishing college, I felt alienated at my school and decided to switch to another one. In the holiday before I started, coincidentally I met a girl from the new school who introduced me to her friends. After college I went to a distant university and again, in the holiday before I left, I met two guys who studied there already. And when I moved to the Netherlands I also met someone who introduced me to people there.

Yes, I did it all myself. But at each step I had help. The help was coincidentally in place every time I took an important step towards a new direction. But what if it wouldn’t have happened like that? And when I get the opportunity to get support by heading into a new direction, why shouldn’t I take it? And now I’m even thinking one step ahead. When I’m heading into a new direction, I look for help and support. This doesn’t make me weak or dependent, on the contrary.

I’m grateful and thank all the people who supported me in my life. Today (Thanksgiving) seems the right day to do so.

What’s the new direction you are taking? Where do you look for help? Do you know of possibilities for musicians to get help? Where do you offer help to others?

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