In life, we often make assumptions. We make assumptions about our abilities, aptitudes, what we can or cannot achieve and the extent to which others will help us. The problem is these assumptions are often based on ill-informed judgments and are often false. The truth is most of us will never know what we are capable of until we push ourselves that extra mile. We won’t know how others might be willing to help us unless we move out of comfort zone and ask!
In my spare time I mentor entrepreneurs from disadvantaged backgrounds in the UK and in Africa. These are people who might have previously been involved in crime, haven’t had access to a decent education or have grown up in poverty etc. I had a meeting with one of them last week (he runs an online fashion magazine) and he talked about his future plans to approach some high people in the fashion industry to run a feature story. I asked him why he hadn’t considered approaching them now and he said he didn’t think they would agree.
My response was simple: If you don’t ask, you don’t get! Yes they might say no but there is also a possibility they might say yes. If you don’t even ask, you have guaranteed you wont get what you want! It defies logic!
We all fall into this trap. From the simplest thing like negotiating a discount (remember there are only two things that are not negotiable in life: taxes and when you die!) to more complicated things like asking for a promotion or applying for a job. If you don’t even ask for what you want, no one is going to offer it to you on a silver platter (well maybe if you are the Queen but I doubt she will be reading this blog). If you don’t push yourself that extra mile, you will never know what you are capable of. If you don’t take the risk and go after what you want, you will never know what could have been.
Don’t live passively – go after what you want with determination. You will be turned down, rejected and maybe even ignored nine out of ten times. But if you don’t persevere, you will never know what might happen on the tenth try.
Mark Twain nailed it when he said “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
So the next time you want something and are hesitant to go for it, remember, if you don’t ask, you wont get and if you don’t try you will never know what might have been. Aim high, dream big and have faith in yourself. Life is too short not to!
This blog was written by Nihal Salah
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