Fundraising

Apr 14, 2008

Sometimes we hate to ask....

When we are young we need to ask for a lot of things, we ask for drinks of water or cookies, we ask to go to the bathroom, we ask for help with lifting things, and we ask for help with tough questions.

When we grow older we tend to ask for less and less.  Although we are indeed more capable, we hesitate asking too much because we don't want to appear weak and we don't want to inconvenience others.

I don't have all the answers on how to get past the pride that keeps us from asking and appearing vulnerable - although I do have some good ideas - but that fear of inconveniencing others when asking baffles me more. 

I am hired to ask people for money.  Oooh, combine the fear of asking with a touchy subject like money and I must be crazy to take a job like that.  Then again, there is certainly a great deal of satisfaction when you overcome the fear, treat a person's financial status with respect, ask them for money, and then they actually give it to you - or to a charity in my case.  It happens all the time - everywhere - and I think I quite like the challenge.

On the flip side....I asked someone today to help me ask others for money and it backfired.  I actually asked two people at the same time and the contrast in their responses was fascinating.  One was open and anxious to explore the adventure of asking, the other established a wall with a "nay" response at every turn - she didn't like anything about the idea of asking.  It kind of bothered me until I realized that we all have that fear and it takes a successful "ask and receive" before we can begin to overcome the fear.  It's such a risky step.

I am glad I take those steps.  I like the adventure and I like the destination.

Josh