"You can ask for the moon and get it", said a man I knew, Percy Ross, a multi-millionaire, who wrote a book about it, had a syndicated advice column--which was read all across the country on the theme "asking"-- and through the column he gave money or arranged for some of what his readers asked for. He did the same on a live radio show in Minneapolis, where he was living. He died several years ago shortly after giving his entire 20 million dollar fortune in 50s and 100s and 1000s of dollar bequests to some of the people who asked, depending on what they asked for and the manner in which they asked, and why it was worthy of accommodation or frivolous. In his book, his column and on his show he explained the dynamics of asking and why people say yes to someone asking even if the person asking is a stranger to them.
What most of us don't realize and why we, way-too-often, don't ask for what we want is we think asking is always an imposition or because we can't handle the idea of being turned down, as if it was a personal rejection.
What very few humans are aware of is nearly everyone wants to say yes, no matter who asks, if the person asked is able and ready to say yes and has some reason to be willing.
Is it possible, even practical to ask anyone--those we know, or are barely acquainted with, or even complete strangers--for anything. Can we move the needle from no certainty in the direction of more certainty, or even near total certainty, and--yes,it sounds impossible--even complete certainty, that the person asked will accommodate us? The answer is a resounding YES! Can we move the batting average from the double digits to batting 1000? Yes, yes, yes.
I assure you the answer is yes, once you see what moves people to accommodate others, even strangers.
By understanding why and when you say yes, you will better understand the motivation of others saying yes, starting yourself on the path to outrageous asking and people complying in the most natural fashion.
To illustrate this dynamic of unexpected accommodation, imagine the collection of possessions that many people have stored and are not using. They likely have already decided to get rid of many of these things, yet they've delayed taking action.
If you, even a stranger, where to learn they had such an item stored and no longer wanted it, then that awareness can support you asking them for the item, followed by a likely or certain yes.
By using your imagination, resourcefulness and exploration, you can expand your awareness of sources like these that you previously didn't expect. Also putting out feelers, networking, communicating with fliers, on-line billboards and tools like Craigslist, are all examples of accessing unsuspected supply waiting for your or anyone's asking.
I suggest you practice your asking in new and creative ways that move you to reach out into areas you've never taken your asking before and then DISCOVER JUST HOW POWERFUL ASKING CAN BE. Continually practicing asking in new ways and new areas will have reinforcing affect that will foster more productive ways of asking. This is a virtuous cycle. Remember people, under the right conditions, want to say yes. They want to make a difference...just as you do, under the right circumstances.
By sustaining and developing this practice, you can transform your state into prosperity.
Now, let's take it to the next level. By asking a room full of people who have shown evidence, clues, that they would want to say yes, and who've been invited to hear what you have to say, you now expose yourself to multiples of yeses. From such a scenario can you see that you could wind up not just with 100% chance for a yes; you actually could get several yeses. By understanding this power of leverage by asking many at one time, you now can expand your expectations of how much you can ask for.
Let's shift our thinking through imagination, as illustrated with the examples above, and realize just how much more is available for the asking in each of our lives.
Posted by drtalsky at June 01, 2010 12:38 PM