There are so many opportunities many people miss just by being quiet. Some people feel it might hurt their pride to ask for help for anything at all, but that’s not the case. We were given mouths for a reason, and that is to communicate. One man cannot do everything himself or have everything, but we can do everything if we ask for help and have everything if we ask for it. Here are a few reasons why asking is a powerful tool in life, and how you can use it:
You can have anything you want
Yes, you can have anything you want in the world if you just ask. “Ask and ye shall receive" is a famous quote by Jesus, and He is not wrong. Whenever we ask for something, it will always be memorized by those who heard it. You cannot just sit there while your heart's desire passes away, you have to say something. Let me ask you a question, would you keep quiet when you can’t find an item at a Walmart, or would you ask one of the store clerks for help? Unless you are a mute most people pick the second option. Now imagine going global, pretend every person you meet in the world is a store clerk and you can ask them for anything you want. Do not underestimate how willing people are to help others just if you are presentable.
2. You will become smarter
Not only is asking good for acquiring one's heart's desires, but it is also good for the acquisition of knowledge. Asking questions makes you smarter than just sitting there and pretending you know all the answers. Confucius once said, “The man who asks a question is a fool for a minute, the man who does not ask is a fool for life.” Why pretend you know all the answers for the sake of reputation when you can just ask a question and retain that knowledge for life. You never know when you might use the knowledge.
3. Two heads are better than one
If you try to do everything yourself either nothing will be accomplished, or it will be done sluggishly. To speed things up always ask for help, I promise you will get things done faster. Forget pride, forget language barriers, forget the fear of rejection. Even if you speak another language, I’m pretty sure many people understand the words, “Help me!” So, don’t be afraid of getting hurt or being rejected pain is inevitable. And what would you prefer, to die slowly and alone or to be hurt by a person’s ‘no’? Choose wisely.
Now that you have been convinced of why asking is important, here is how to do it properly.
Be Polite
No one likes an arrogant person, and if you are known for being arrogant or rude many people might rebuff your requests. It is important to build a good reputation, and if you feel like you don’t have a good reputation it is never too late to begin. So, be polite. Ask for whatever you want in the nicest way you can possibly be, and if you feel like you don’t possess the charisma, just fake it till you make it. Many people can tell when someone is trying to be nice even if it is done horribly, people will understand your good intentions.
2. Don’t give up
‘Oh! that person said no, and this person said no, so I don’t deserve to be helped’ is a stupid way of thinking. There are seven billion people in the world, there must be at least one person who is willing to help. You should only think of yourself as unworthy to be helped when you have been rejected by all seven billion people, until then, don’t think like that.
3. Put some action into it
Have you ever heard of a person that wants a job, but just sits around doing nothing? If you want people to take your desire seriously you must put some effort into it. People want to see that you want it, and not just ask for it. So go ahead and work for what you want. Ask for assistance and not for having someone else do the work for you. It is easy to forget that the people we are asking for help from also have dreams, goals, and desires of their own, so respect that.
4. Pray
Many people might not believe in God but praying about what you desire leaves it out of your hands. Many people try so hard to accomplish things but are unable to, so they become depressed because of it, but when you pray you are detaching yourself from those desires and leaving it out for God to handle. Prayer reminds us that just because we can’t have something doesn’t mean our lives are over or our souls are forfeit, after all, the most important thing is that we are here for a reason.
Things you shouldn’t do:
Cry for it
Crying can be annoying, and many people can see crying for something that isn’t life-threatening as spoilt or pampered. So don’t think you have the upper hand by crying for it.
2. Become obsessed
Being overly obsessed with something makes you look weak almost like you can’t live without it. People who don’t like you might use this obsession to their advantage either by depriving you of it or using it against you. So don’t get too attached to what you are asking for.
3. Ask for illegal things
People don’t like rebels, and if you ask for something that isn’t mainstream you might be leading yourself into a ditch. Not only will the illegal thing harm you, but it will also ruin your reputation.
4. Become angry after rejection
Rejection is inevitable. No one can be skilled at everything. If someone tells you ‘No, I can’t do it,' don’t get angry with the person, or else the person who rejected you will remember it. Also, the anger will ruin your mood which will, in turn, ruin your politeness when you try to ask another person for help. If you ever get rejected, shrug it off, try to forget, and move on.
Go ahead, try it out, and do not forget to avoid the don'ts. I hope from now on life will be much easier when you ask for help.