In high school, I remember reading an article about a man who was inspired to start asking for things he wanted regardless of whether he thought it was possible to actually obtain it. His story talked about how his family was on one of those high speed trains in Europe and his young son wondered out loud if people were ever allowed to stand up in the front with the conductor. The dad decided to test out his new mentality and asked the conductor if he and his son could stand up with the engineer. The conductor asked the engineer and he said yes. The man discusses his genuine surprise that people were allowed to do that. When they entered, the father asked if they allowed people to do this often. The engineer replied that no one had ever asked. His son was so overjoyed that they were the first ever to ride with the engineer on a high speed train, the father reflected on how many good things can come from just asking. That story had always stuck with me. I think about the message behind it a lot actually.

I was inspired by that article and I began to practice acting on asking for things I wondered possible. I lived in Zimbabwe for a summer in 2012 and was working at an elephant orphanage. During my time there, I was introduced to the cheetah that lived there named Sylvester. His handler was really friendly and brought my friend and I to Sylvester's private enclosure where he lived one day. I saw the fast track toy that you see on Animal Planet to witness them run at high speeds. I figured I'd ask if we could see it even though it was just the three of us casually hanging with him. His handler said yes and it was unbelievable experiencing that powerful animal chase that toy. I will never forget it. Then I asked to see if we could take him for a walk, because why would you not want to walk alongside a cheetah out in the bush? To my delight, the handler again said yes. I genuinely didn't expect to be able to do so much with this animal. Cheetahs were my favorite animal growing up and by simply asking, I was able to live some of my childhood dreams. I am so happy I got to experience those things with him. I was surprised and thrilled by what I received in return for putting in the effort to at least try and see what I could get.

From small questions to big favors, I’ve learned that it doesn’t hurt to ask. From asking for help, a ride, a switch in scheduling, to asking if you can stand in a certain VIP spot at a concert because it looks a little empty and you befriended the bouncer, it is worth inquiring. You never know what response you will get, but knowing what you could possibly achieve through it is exciting. And if things work out in your favor, your day just got a lot more interesting.

So I encourage you to try it out. If you have that voice in your head or your friend asking “I wonder if they would let us...," just ask if you can. Be assertive but polite. Be friendly. People want to do nice things for people who make them feel good. Ask if you can sit on the outdoor patio of a restaurant even though it looks like it might be closed? Ask that cute boy on a date because there are hints there and you might as well try. You will never know until you ask. You can get things you want by doing so. I urge you to try to do it more often. Awesome things will happen or you’ll be in the same position you were already in before you asked. Don’t be afraid of rejection, it happens and who cares. Just be brave and ask for what you want if you want it. You’d be surprised by how much you can get in this world just by politely asking.