“If you don’t ask, you don’t get. If you ask, you may not always get what you want, but if you don’t ask, you won’t get”
You’ve probably heard it said that you won’t get what you truly desire if you’re not prepared to ask for it. But for many of us, knowing how to ask for what we want in a way that makes a positive impression – and ultimately gets us the response we’re hoping for – can be challenging.
So often, in an effort to respond to a situation immediately, we hastily send out an email, answer a question or make a call that lacks thought.
As a result, the recipient either misunderstands the communication, doesn’t get the full context, or is unnecessarily annoyed.
Had we just taken a couple of minutes to craft our message, think about our response, or plan the call, we could have been so much more effective and in the end,
Do you ever feel so tired that you literally can’t move?
Do you ever wonder if you are experiencing a level of “burnout?”
Do you ever wish the weekend was just one more day and you still had just one more hour of sleep before you had to wake up?
A couple of months ago, I was so overwhelmed with fatigue that I decided to consult a physician.
The wonderful thing about this country is that there are opportunities everywhere. If you have a son or daughter who’s working as a valet during their school break, for example, don’t think of it as a dead-end job. It could lead to much greater things.
Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking at the Women in Parking conference, in front of a group of professionals who work in the parking industry around the country.
Our times have been dubbed the “Age of Distraction,” and I was recently reminded of how potentially perilous distraction can be, especially for pedestrians! I was driving to CNN and I was on the phone talking to a potential client about presentation topics. I was so engrossed that I literally didn’t notice the police officer at the crosswalk, telling me to stop.
He pulled me over and gave me a very stern warning.
I recently attended my daughter’s NYU graduation. This poem, Think of Others by Mahmoud Darwish, was read by one of the speakers. I thought it was really beautiful and thought-provoking, and wanted to share it with you.
As you prepare your breakfast, think of others
(do not forget the pigeon’s food).
As you conduct your wars, think of others
(do not forget those who seek peace).
As you pay your water bill,
I recently spoke to a group of entrepreneurs on how to get people to like you, trust you, and generate new business.
Everyone had to share the experience(s) that had most impacted their lives. The directive, however, was that while stories were being shared, the listeners were not allowed to relate the story back to themselves; they had to simply listen, and then ask qualifying questions such as, “In what way?” “Tell me more?”
Take a moment and think back to the last time you did or said something out of anger or frustration. Something that, on reflection, you wish you hadn’t done.
It’s in those moments that each and every one of us needs to become acutely aware of our internal monitoring system. Think of it as your own personal feedback system, an internal gauge that signals it’s time to pause, breathe and think about what you are about to say or do.
