Celebrate "May Day"

Today is May 1, May Day as it is called. Over the world, there will be many celebrations, but this particular event hasn't caught on the in the US, like Valentines Day or Mothers Day, which will occur on May 10. I don't know why. Maybe it's because we associate "May Day" with "Mayday!!" the universal call for help.

I recently watched the original version of "The Poseidon Adventure." In the opening frames, the ship hits the wall of water from an earthquake, and Leslie Nielsen, playing the Captain, gets on the radio and starts shouting,"Mayday! Mayday!" The bells rang, sirens blared, and the passengers panicked. Did someone hear the distress call? Or was it just luck that led the rescue team came to the outside of the hull of the ship just as the few survivors had arrived at the same location on the inside? Even though it was filmed many years ago, it is a real cliffhanger.

Mayday!! Mayday!! How many times do people want to call that out when in real distress, but for some reason, are silent? Even though disaster is imminent, they say nothing, tell no one. Their fear or embarrassment or pride keeps them from asking for and receiving help in time of trouble. It could be someone suffering from the fear or reality of abuse. In some cases, the fear of walking away and the uncertainty of the future is somehow worse than enduring a painful present. Someone afraid of disappointment or rejection. Or a business owner too embarrassed to admit they need help to survive. Some people with great ideas or abilities are silenced because of the fear of failure or rejection. So many people lead lives of unfulfilled greatness because they are "Scared Silent." The fear is real to them, and in some cases, to them alone. Somewhere they learned that to ask for help is weakness, or to be avoided at all costs.

In this economy, there are many people who may be part of this group of the "Scared Silent." They sit in their houses, or go through the motions of a job they don't like but are afraid to leave. Don't rock the boat, for fear of setting someone off, be it a boyfriend, spouse, boss, or client. They have the next great business idea, best seller or hidden talent, but keep it hidden, far from the view of critics, real or imagined.

Speak up! Get out of the house! Take a chance. Get back into the game. Have a "Plan B." Talk to someone you trust who will be willing to help you find a place of refuge when things get rough, or can give you advice to turn your business around. Take one tip from all the books you have sitting around about dieting, or marketing, or self-improvement, or finances, or success and DO IT! Make a plan. Start now. When you shout "Mayday" out in your head, answer it with your own positive action. You may find that help is closer than you think.