Lately I have been feeling a lot like a beggar. You see, I went and entered a contest which required me to ask my friends, family, clients, associates and total strangers to vote for my book, Energy Makeover. Asking takes effort. Asking feels weak. Asking means I’m nothing without their help. Asking is humbling. I do it anyway, as hard as it is, because I know that asking is necessary to take a stand for what I am called to do.
Excuse me a second so I can take a moment to ask again – You see, the contest ends at Midnight on Monday June 28!
Will you help me?
Please vote for my book at http://www.nexttopauthor.com/profile.cfm?aid=799
I have also been doing a whole lot of receiving lately simply because I asked for help. Whether or not I make it as one of the 25 lucky authors who advance to Round 3 in the Next Top Author Contest, my heart has been warmed and my confidence stroked by hundreds of friends who wrote, called, texted and posted on my Facebook wall. When I asked for help, they responded and they did so with warmth and affection. Nobody threatened me, got mad or told me I was dumb. Why was I expecting that might happen? It does make me wonder if irrational thoughts and fears get in the way of my best experiences in other areas of life.
Due to this lesson in asking and receiving, I will choose to repeat both more often. I will do it anyway, even when I’m scared. Repeating a process that works is the real progress.
In summary, the lesson today is:
Asking takes effort. The return on the effort is enormous
Asking feels weak, but the weakness is temporary. Receiving soon restores the power and balance
Asking means I’m nothing without their help. Life is richest only through connection and service to others
Asking is humbling. I choose to remain humble
Whether I advance in the contest or not, my book will be published, people know what it’s about and they are excited about reading it when it becomes available. I call that a winner and I’m sticking with that!
