Give first, but don’t fear the ask

Are you a go-giver?

Never asking for anything in return you give, and give, and then give some more.

It’s never about what you want; it’s always about what others need.

You deliver every time.

But, what about what you need?

Somewhere along the line you’re going to have to begin working towards your endgame. You’ll have to decide what your life’s work will be. You’ll also need a plan of action for making it happen.

However, unless you are willing to own your endgame and prioritize your ambitions your dreams will always be half-baked.

You can give to and do for others without giving up on yourself.

It’s like Gary Vanyerchuck says; give, give, give, give, give, give, ASK!

After you’ve given to others, after you’ve proven your worth and built authentic relationships, what will you ask for? If you’ve served others, if you’ve cared and led with your heart, there will be no shortage of people out there who are willing to help you. You just have to let them know that you could use a hand.

You’re not demanding help. You’re not being pushy. All you need to do is stand up and say I want to do something great. I can’t do it on my own. I want you to be a part of it. Then make the ask.

Yes, you’ll have to be vulnerable. You will have to put your ideas and yourself out there. You will have to take a risk. But, you’ll just have to suck it up if you ever want to make meaningful progress.

 The results of the ask can be very telling.

Did you work your ass off for someone and then they refused to help you? It might be time to rethink that relationship.

Or, are you unable to find anyone to help you with your project? Maybe it’s not who you’re asking, but what you’re working on that needs to be reevaluated. All of the no’s could be a reflection of a poorly conceived project or pitch. Rework your idea, and then re-ask for help.

The takeaway here is not that you should use other people to get what you want; giving is its own reward. But, at some point, you have to give yourself the chance to lead, the chance to succeed, and an opportunity to fail.

Otherwise, when you’re done giving all you have, you’ll have nothing left for you.

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