Walking Alongside People

Why support often matters more than advice

There is a phrase I have been saying a lot lately:

I strive to walk alongside people.

The more I say it, the more I realize how deeply it reflects who I want to be.

Especially in mentoring relationships—whether someone is navigating multiple sclerosis, infertility, career uncertainty, leadership growth, or simply a hard season of life—I do not want to be the person barking instructions from the sidelines.

I do not want to push people.

I do not want to pull people.

I do not want to make their story about what I would do.

I want to walk alongside them.

And to me, that means everything.

What Walking Alongside Someone Looks Like

It means meeting people where they are—not where you think they should be.

It means understanding that timing matters.

Readiness matters.

Emotional bandwidth matters.

Sometimes support is not a brilliant answer.

Sometimes support looks like:

• A hug when words feel inadequate

• A phone call that says, “You don’t have to do this alone.”

• A text checking in for no reason other than care

• Coffee and conversation with no agenda

• Asking thoughtful questions that help someone see new possibilities

• Sitting in silence when silence is what is needed

• Encouragement without pressure

• Belief without control

  
  

That kind of presence is powerful.

Why We Default to Fixing

Many caring people rush to solutions because discomfort is hard to witness.

We want to help.

We want to solve.

We want to speed up someone else’s healing or growth.

So we say:

“If I were you…”

“Here’s what you need to do…”

“You should just…”

Most of the time, those words are well-intentioned.

But often, people do not need a manager in painful seasons.

They need a companion.

What I’ve Learned Through MS, Infertility, and Career Growth

Having lived through difficult chapters myself, I know how lonely struggle can feel.

When I was dealing with multiple sclerosis, I did not need someone minimizing my fears.

When I faced infertility, I did not need simplistic advice from people who had never walked that road.

When I’ve stretched professionally into new rooms and bigger responsibilities, I have not needed critics in the cheap seats.

I have needed people who could simply say:

“I’m here.”

“I believe in you.”

“You’re not crazy for feeling this way.”

“What support would help right now?”

That is walking alongside someone.

Why It Makes Me Think of Faith

This idea makes me think of Jesus and the spirit of the Footprints poem.

Not because the stories are identical—but because the message of presence matters so much.

The poem reminds us that in our hardest seasons, we are not abandoned.

Sometimes we are carried.

Sometimes strength shows up quietly beside us.

Sometimes love does not announce itself with speeches—it simply stays.

That image has always moved me.

And maybe that is why “walking alongside” resonates so deeply with me.

Because the greatest support often is not loud.

It is steady.

How to Walk Alongside Someone This Week

You do not need special credentials to do this.

You simply need willingness.

Try one of these:

• Reach out to someone going through a hard time

• Ask, “How are you really doing?” and listen

• Offer presence instead of advice

• Encourage someone who is doubting themselves

• Share your own story so they feel less alone

• Stay consistent, not dramatic

  
  

People rarely forget who stood beside them.

What I Want to Be Known For

Not for having all the answers.

Not for perfect advice.

Not for sounding wise.

I want to be known as someone who made people feel less alone.

Someone who noticed.

Someone who cared.

Someone who walked alongside them when the road felt heavy.

That kind of leadership matters in friendship, family, faith, and work.

And in my experience, it changes lives.

Key Takeaways

• People often need presence more than advice.

• Walking alongside means meeting people where they are.

• Support can be simple: a call, text, hug, coffee, or listening ear.

• Fixing is tempting, but companionship is often more healing.

• The most meaningful leaders are not always loud—they are steady.

• You do not need to solve someone’s pain to help carry hope.

• People may forget your advice, but they remember who stayed.