ASK

She was the girl of my dreams. Well, at least one of them. And our fraternity end of the year event was coming up. She was beautiful, listed as a campus beauty in our yearbook, if you needed proof. You didn't. She was talented. She was popular.

I had no car. Folks did not know who I was. I wasn't ugly, but there were guys better looking. I was not unpopular, but there were guys far more popular. So I asked her to be my date anyway. And . . . she said yes!

As we were heading to the event in a borrowed car, I asked her why she went on a date with me and not someone else. She smiled and said.

Because you asked.

Sometimes that's all it takes. But you have to ask. I couldn't simply wait for her to call me. I had to have the courage and confidence to risk rejection.

I began as a speechwriter. I needed clients. So, I wrote some letters to some pretty important people. Fred Smith, the founder and chairman of FedEx of Memphis was one. And guess what? After an interview, he said yes! Was I the best speechwriter in America? Nope. But I asked.

I've written a lot of books for a lot of people. Some were celebrities. Some had a great story. Want to know how I got the business? You guessed it. I asked.

There's an older lady who has been a dear friend of mine for just about all my life. She befriended my son, too, and together we went on some fun adventures. Her memorial service is coming up Friday. I asked to speak at it. Her family didn't ask me, but they were glad I called. On Friday, I'll be telling a story about one of those trips that I think she would want me to tell.

Why am I sharing this with you? For money? Not that I'm aware of. I guess it's because I get tired of folks sitting back and waiting for the phone to ring, announcing a better job or relationship. That's not how it works. You have to ask. And then ask some more. And eventually, you will ask at the right time.

Did I ever ask out any other females who said no to a date? You betcha.

Did I ever have someone say no to my offer to write a book? They still do.

But not everyone does. And the results have helped me get from where I was to where I wanted to be. And it's helped me help others.

Not that you asked, but if you did, I would encourage you to do just that - ASK.

I wrote a book once for Frank Maguire. He started in the White House Communications Group for President Kennedy. Then he became a director of broadcasting for ABC. After senior positions at American Airlines and KFC, he became a Senior VP at FedEx, helping it get off the ground. After that, he started his own communications company in West Lake Village, California.

He reminded me that opportunity is NOWHERE. He wrote the word on a chalkboard. "You can look at that two ways," he said. "One way is that opportunity is no where. If you believe that, it's probably true. You won't find it and besides, you're not looking. Or you can see it as opportunity is now here. And if you believe that, it's also probably true. But you have to decide how you're going to play it." I think that's how he became as successful as he was. He may have had more problems than anyone I've ever met. But he also found incredible opportunities.

You and I have a choice in the time we have left on this old earth. We can sit around and wait for opportunity to knock. In my life, that seldom happens, how about yours? Or, we can bundle up our skills, our confidence and our courage and ASK for what we really want.

And, remember, this is not simply about business. It's about life. And once you hear the YES, make sure you do your best. Don't take that opportunity for granted.

And, don't forget to enjoy the adventure!

Stephen Douglas Williford helps others write books. Sales have totaled over 15,000,000 copies.