In a world of change, where do you belong? The
answer's clear, it's time to be strong. Mindful
growth, that's where we thrive. With Angela's
guidance, watch your best self arise. Transform
with strong, reach for the stars. Resilient minds,
that's who we are. No awakening potential, near
and far. Angela, our strong, raising the bar.
Welcome. to episode 10 of Transformation Talk
in Powered Edge Season with Angela R. Strong.
And I'm Angela R. Strong. And today we're exploring
something that can make or break your transformation
journey. Creating a strong support network. We
all need it. Here's the truth that took me years
to learn. Resilience isn't a solo sport. The
strongest people aren't those who never need
help. They're the ones who know how to build
and maintain relationships that sustain them
through life's challenges. We can't do it alone.
You can't do it alone. I can't do it alone. So
today, we're going to design your own personal
support ecosystem. Most of my military career,
shoot, for most of my life, I provided myself
on being self -sufficient. I was the person others
came to for help, not the person who asked for
help. I thought that needing support was a sign
of weakness and in the high stakes world I operated
in, in the military, weakness could be dangerous.
This mindset served me well in some ways, but
it made me resourceful, resilient, and reliable.
But it also left me isolated, especially when
I was having crises. Suddenly, I was facing challenges
that I couldn't handle alone. But I had no idea
how to ask for help or who even to ask for help
from. I remember sitting in my car after another
difficult day, as I always did. And I felt completely
alone despite me being surrounded by colleagues
and family. That's when I realized that I had
spent so much time being strong for others that
I had never learned to let others be strong for
me. And when you do that, people think you're
always strong and that you don't need any help,
so they don't offer any. The turning point came
when my daughter came to me one evening. She,
and she called me on the phone and she can hear
the exhaustion in my voice. And she said, you
taught me that we're strong together. Why aren't
you letting us be strong with you? That conversation
changed everything. I began to understand that
building a support network isn't about being
weak. It's about being wise enough to recognize
that we all need different types of support and
at different times. Your support network isn't
just about having people to call when you're
in a crisis. It's about creating a comprehensive
ecosystem that supports different aspects of
your life and your growth in your life. Think
of it like a well -designed garden. You need
different types of plants that serve different
functions and thrive in different conditions,
right? Here are the central roles in your support
ecosystem. You have the cheerleaders. These are
the people that believe in you unconditionally
all the time. They celebrate your wins, they
encourage you during your setbacks, and they
remind you of the strengths that you have when
you forget them. You got the truth tellers. These
trusted individuals will give you honest feedback,
even when it's hard to hear. They love you enough
to tell you when you're making mistakes or when
you're not living up to your potential. The mentors.
People who have walked similar paths and can
offer you wisdom, guidance, and perspective that's
based on their experiences. You have your peers
who are others who are on similar journeys right
now, the same as you. And they understand your
current challenges because they're facing them
too. The specialists. Those are professionals
like therapists, coaches like myself, financial
advisors, medical professionals who provide you
with expert support in specific areas. You also
got the fun brigade. You gotta love the fun brigade.
Those are people who help you to laugh and play
and remember that life isn't all about work and
growth. They're essential for preventing burnout.
You also have the spiritual supporters. Whether
it's religious or not, these are people who can
connect with you on a deeper level about meaning,
about purpose, and your values. And most people
have some of these roles filled, but many have
some significant gaps. And the key to this is
to consciously assess your network and intentionally
feel the missing pieces. Creating a strong support
network isn't about collecting as many contacts
as possible. It's about cultivating meaningful
relationships that are mutually beneficial. Don't
have people around you that are just taking from
your cup and not refilling your cup. Here's my
strategic approach. Step one, I want you to assess
your current network map. I want you to map out
who currently fills each role in your support
ecosystem. Notice where the gaps are. Which relationships
are one -sided? Which connections have you neglected?
Step two, identify your needs. Be very specific
about what kind of support you need most right
now. Are you lacking encouragement, honest feedback,
professional guidance, or social connection?
Step three, be intentional about building that
support. Support networks don't just happen.
They require intentional cultivation. This might
mean joining groups or communities aligned with
your interests or your goals, or reaching out
to connect or reconnect with some old friends
or colleagues that you have. seeking out mid
-tours and areas where you want to grow. Offering
support to others, which often does lead to others
reciprocating those relationships back to you.
Step four, invest in existing relationships.
Don't just focus on building new connections.
Strengthen the relationships you already have
by being more vulnerable, more present, and more
generous with your support. Step five, practice
receiving. This is often the hardest part for
high achievers. I want you to learn to gracefully
accept help, advice, and support. Practice saying
thank you instead of I'm sorry when someone's
helping you. Let me share with you how this worked
for me. After my daughter's wake -up call, I
started mapping my support network, and I realized
I had plenty of people that I helped, but I had
very few that I turned to for help. So what did
I do? I began joining groups and support groups
with people in career transition. I reconnected
with old friends that I had lost touch with.
got a therapist to help me process my experiences
and building relationships with other entrepreneurs
and other coaches. More importantly, learning
to let my family support me instead of always
being the strong one. The result wasn't just
that I felt less alone. It was that my relationships
with these people became so much more deeper,
more authentic and more satisfying. for everyone
involved. Let's practice the support network
power calls. I want you to think about a challenge
that you're currently facing, and I want you
to take three deep breaths, and I want you to
create space for this honest reflection right
now. Now ask yourself, who in my current network
could offer support with this challenge. What
type of support do I need most? Encouragement,
advice, practical help, or just someone to listen
to me? What's preventing me from reaching out
to these people? How could I offer support to
others in my network? What new connections might
I need to cultivate? Notice any resistance you
feel to asking for help. That resistance is information
about beliefs that you might need to examine.
Building a support network is just the beginning
though. So maintaining it requires ongoing attention
and care. Here are some key principles to help
you do that. Be proactive, not reactive. Don't
wait until you're in a crisis to reach out to
people. Have regular check -ins and celebrations
of other successes and offer them support during
their good times, building the foundation for
support during those difficult times for you
and for them. And make it mutual. because the
strongest networks are built on reciprocity.
Look for ways to support others, not just receive
support for yourself. You can offer them skills,
make some introductions to other people, or simply
just be a good listener. Respect their boundaries.
Not everyone can provide support all the time.
Learn to read cues about when people are available
and when they're not. And when they're not, it's
okay. Have multiple people in each support role
so you're not overwhelming any one person Express
gratitude regularly Regularly acknowledge the
support that you receive from those people People
are more likely to continue supporting you when
they feel appreciated and valued Everyone loves
that Stay connected during the good times. Don't
just reach out when you need something. Reach
out in good times too. And maintain those connections
during stable periods so that your relationships
are strong when you do need that support. They
don't feel like you're only calling them when
you need something or when you're down. This
week I want you to complete a support network
audit. I want you to draw a map of your current
network. And I want you to identify who fills
each role and where you have those gaps at. This
is your homework for this week. Choose one relationship
to strengthen and reach out to one that you haven't
connected with in a while. Or deepen a current
relationship by being more vulnerable or more
supportive to that person. Identify one new connection
you like to make and then I want you to take
a concrete step towards building that relationship.
Remember that asking for support isn't a sign
that you're not strong enough. It's a sign that
you're wise enough to know that we're all stronger
together. Your support network isn't about What
you can get is about the community that you can
create and contribute to, the community that
you can build. Next week, we're exploring sustainable
transformation, making change stick. Until then,
remember, you don't have to carry your burdens
alone, and you don't have to celebrate your victories
alone either. I'm Angela R. Strong and this has
been Transformation Talk with Angela R. Strong,
the Empowered Series. If this video resonates
with you, if you like it, like, share, subscribe,
and I will see you next week. Mindful, bold and
totally free