A few months ago in the throes of mothering, business, and partnership with a husband/business partner flying at half-mast due to illness (he’s doing way better now), I realized I was operating under the following belief:

I’m unable to get my needs met at the same time that someone I love has a need.

I was stuck in this zero-sum model that there’s only so much support to go around, and if someone else needs it, I’ve just got to buck up and take care of myself.

Not surprisingly, feeling this way left me resentful and quite fragile under the armor of martyrdom that was beginning to form on my exhausted frame.

Here’s what the last few challenging months have taught me:

You don’t have to earn the right to have a need.

But you do have to take responsibility for how you recognize your needs and how you go about getting them met.

Your needs are not someone else’s responsibility. They’re yours. It doesn’t mean you have to meet them all yourself, but it does mean you have to own that you have them and be conscious about how you communicate them. @katenorthrup (Click to Tweet!)

I made you a video today to help you get your needs met.

If you’ve ever thought to yourself:

How dare I think that I’m worthy of asking somebody else to go out of their way to meet my need?

Then you need to watch this video.

When you watch it you’ll learn:

• Three keywords that will make getting your needs met way more likely
• How to make yourself easy to help
• How to feel nourished even when your needs are not getting met
• A recent circumstance where I overcame my resistance to asking someone to go out of their way for me and how it turned out

OVER TO YOU:

Which one of the three keywords is the most helpful for you when it comes to asking for your needs to be met? What need do you need to acknowledge? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Kate Northrup is an entrepreneur, bestselling author, and mother who supports ambitious, motivated and successful women to light up the world without burning themselves out in the process. Committed to empowering women entrepreneurs to create their most successful businesses while navigating motherhood, Kate is the founder and CEO of Origin Collective, a monthly membership site where women all over the world gather to achieve more while doing less. Her first book, Money: A Love Story, has been published in 5 languages. Kate’s work has been featured by The Today Show, Yahoo! Finance, Women’s Health, Glamour, and The Huffington Post, and she’s spoken to audiences of thousands with Hay House, Wanderlust, USANA Health Sciences, and more. Kate lives with her husband and business partner, Mike, and their daughter Penelope in Maine. Find out more and receive your free copy of the 5 Simple and effective ways to get the results you want in your business at katenorthrup.com.

Image courtesy of Sharon McCutcheon.