If we are going to “what if” ourselves into a form of ‘asking paralysis,’ it’s only fair to include the potential positive “what ifs.”
The opposite of, “what if I stumble over my words when I ask and they decline to give?” is, “what if a stumble makes me appear more human, strengthens trust, and still leads to a meaningful gift?”
The counter of, “what if I’m unable to address all their questions adequately?” is, “what if I use any unanswered questions as a reason to follow-up quickly after our visit?”
The flip side of, “what if I’m asking for too much and they are offended?” is, “what if I’m asking for too little and they want to make a bigger impact?”
If our anxiety about asking has reached a point where we derail our invitations to give, we are usually only focusing on the potential negative “what ifs.” Having the discipline to identify the positive “what ifs,” is a habit everyone can adopt.
