@jesistracham: I became this way because I learned early on to figure things out. My mom was an over-the-road truck driver. My dad dispatched from the basement. My sister and I had a lot of independence growing up, and somewhere along the way I learned, If I need something done…I’ll just do it myself. That mindset served me for a long time. Until adulthood. Then I got paralyzed. And all of a sudden there were a lot of things I physically couldn’t do on my own. But did I suddenly become good at asking for help? Absolutely not. 😂 I’d rather spend an hour figuring something out than ask someone for five minutes of their time. Part of it is I don’t want to feel like a burden. Part of it is I don’t want to be on someone else’s schedule. And if I’m being really honest… Part of it is because I’ve watched too many people do things half-butted, then I have to go back and do it again anyway. So my brain says, “just figure it out.” And most of the time… I do. But here’s what I’m learning… Hyper-independence isn’t always strength. Sometimes it’s self-protection. Sometimes it’s fear. Sometimes it’s believing you have to earn your place by never needing anyone. The older I get, the more I’m realizing there’s strength in letting people show up for you too. I’m still working on it. Still catching myself saying, “I’ve got it,” when I probably don’t. Still reminding myself that needing help doesn’t make me weak. It makes me human. Where are my hyper-independent people at? And be honest… What’s harder for you: asking for help or accepting it when it’s offered?

Jesi Stracham

Open In TikTok:

Region: US

Tuesday 21 July 2026 12:45:02 GMT