FeistyFemale

20/08/2008 In Lessons from Combat by feistyfemale

My sister’s 17 year old son called her from the Spur one evening asking if she would be so kind as to ask the manager to serve both him and his friends champagne. Absolutely mortified and in a bout of anger, my sister asked her son how he could expect her to condone under-age drinking. Even more appalling how could she endorse under-age drinking of his peers without their parents consent. My nephews very calm response: “But mom! You taught us that if you don’t ask you will never know. I had to take a chance.”

After hearing that story I decided there and then that I had learned something and that the kid had a point! [Well done sis for teaching him a valuable life skill!]

Often I want things and I simply don’t ask. I wasn’t sure sure why, but gave it some thought. I think NOT ASKING is to avoid fear (of disappointment), sometimes it is pure laziness, and other times it is to avoid conflict. Mostly I guess I don’t ask because I assume I already know the answer. And do I really?

Lately I have been challenging my line of thinking (yet again). I am in a mode of direct questioning. If I want something or I want to know something - I ask outright .  It works like magic! The results have made me step back and re-look all my assumptions.

So remember folks, if you don’t ask you will never know. Ultimately the answer can only be a yes or a no (or you can be ignored). And so what if the answer is no? At least you tried.