Pride & Walls

I have been on a seek and find mission.  I have a keen awareness that I have lived my life with many a defence mechanism firmly in place, keeping me safe from potential threat to my autonomy, my God given right to choice, my me...I am also keenly aware that all those self protective pieces of armour have kept me apart, separate from others, an emotional island in many ways.  The other side of this coin is my deep desire to have others need me, lean on me for emotional support, comfort and truly inspired solutions to their lets say, issues in life. Haha, pride is so arrogant!  I know, I know that I am stating the obvious here and at the same time, the simplicity of this truth is pure delight. One of my tightly constructed red brick walls of protection has been NOT asking for help.  Stubborn pride (there's that darn word again) had me desperately searching for answers to whatever puzzling life question came my way, including in the form of in the lives of others, as though I was/I am the beacon of truth, the solution provider, the uniquely gifted answer finder. What I discovered is that in my most prideful moments, I have clung to what I believed was the answer and I have held kind souls there, with me...despite my being so off the mark as to be off the map.  This speaks to the proverbial "remove the plank in your own eye before you attempt to remove the sliver in another's".  I am grateful for gorgeous breathtaking humility, the kind that has cleared my clouded self important vision.  Help, a new word for me.  I now recognize when and how to use the word in giving, receiving and accepting when offered.  The walls, come tumbling down, yeah the walls...