All You Need To Do, Is Ask…

Dear Readers,

If you are asked to guess the three words that most of us just can’t get ourselves to say out loud, what would your answer be? Which three-word sentence takes all you’ve got, for you to share with another?

Over the years, across the world, the answer to this most amusing question has been changing. In earlier times, the three most difficult words to say were, ‘I Love You’. A romantic confession was nearly taboo! But that has changed, as newer generations got increasingly bolder and more emotionally confident to express their feelings. ‘I Love You’ evolved from a statement made usually on special occasions or only ever in private, to brazen declarations from the rooftops! Of course, no one’s complaining!

It was soon replaced by ‘I don’t know’ – three words which simply destroyed the admitter’s ego to shreds. The new three-word sentence which had us go speechless… it just pained too much confess that there could be things that one does not know much or anything about. Smart was the new sexy… still is, and one of the smartest things to do is to be self-assured enough to say you don’t know something if you don’t! After all, in the words of the great Abe Lincoln, “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and to remove all doubt!”

Which brings us to the toughest three-word sentence that rules today… ‘I need help’. This is the deadliest one of them all and it’s been claiming more than just one’s peace of mind. There’s been a steady increase in the number of people choosing to end their lives, the world over. It must be so heart-breaking to have to resort to suicide, to be stuck in a moment of such absolute hopelessness, such emotional and mental mutilation, that ending it all seems the only way out.

But it doesn’t have to be that way – if only one could reach out and say those three words,
‘I need help’. Today, we live in a comparatively more enlightened society because of the stresses of modern day living. Help is at hand and more accessible – professionally and otherwise. You could speak with family or friends, or a professional or verified online avenues which provide you as much assistance and privacy, and help raise you out of the depressive quagmire. All you need to do is build the courage to reach out and say, ‘I need help’. Help is at hand. All you need to do is ask.

-Anahita