Asking is one of the most powerful secrets to success and happiness. If you want to achieve your goals and dreams, you should not be afraid to ask for help or advice. Share your goals with someone else, because that person might be able to help you. The more you share your goals and aspirations, the more chances of other people helping you achieve your goals.
Why are people afraid to ask?
People are afraid to ask for many reasons, like looking foolish or stupid. Most people are afraid because of fear of rejection and failure. They are afraid of hearing “no” for an answer. They are afraid to be judged.
What’s the worst that can happen when you ask? The worst answer is “no.” What happens when you get a “no”? Nothing really. You started with nothing. When you get a “no,” you still have nothing.
Some say, “It’s embarrassing if you get turned down!” Embarrassing to whom? You’re the one who’s making yourself feel that way. The person you asked might not even think about it. What if, the answer to the question is “yes”?
Nothing is really lost, and yet you have everything to gain when you ask. Therefore, ASK.
Tickets to happiness
Years ago, my daughter wanted to watch the De La Salle University (DLSU) versus Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) UAAP championship basketball game. It was in the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena. She asked me if I can find some tickets for her since it was extremely difficult to get tickets from DLSU and Ateneo.
My former officemate became an executive of a big company, which has a suite at the MOA Arena. So, I asked. If he said no, I wouldn’t have tickets. But, I already didn’t have tickets in the first place. Lo and behold, the response was “Penny, I have two tickets for you. You can get them from my office.”
My daughter was happy. She also knew about the power of asking, so she asked for two more tickets. My first thoughts were, “What? What will my friend say?” But keeping in mind the power of asking, I asked my friend for two more. This time, he replied, “Haha. I will try.” To my surprise, he sent me a message after a few hours. “You can get them from my office.”
When I went to his office to pick up the tickets, I discovered that he left not only four, but six tickets for me! I was happy. My daughter and her friends were happy. And, our team won.
Foreword
When I was writing my first book, Career Shift: Follow Your Passion, I asked my coach whom I would ask to write the foreword. “Why don’t you ask Jack?” Coach Margit said. I thought, Oh yeah! Why not Jack Canfield? But, what if he says no? He will say no… But, what if he says yes?
I sent an email to Jack’s assistant and asked. I patiently waited and prayed, hoping he’d say yes. After a few days, his assistant replied. The answer was YES! Jack Canfield said YES to me! THE Jack Canfield. Now, the foreword of my first book was written by Jack Canfield.
I have asked many times. The answer isn’t always YES. And, that is okay. Don’t feel bad. There is no harm in asking. But, many times, I get is a YES.
In our Filipino culture, asking is not part of our DNA. We have been raised to be contented with whatever we have. If we are given a short blanket, many of us make do… we don’t ask. My dream is for us, Filipinos, to ask for a bigger blanket, for us to ask for more because we deserve more.
