More and better requests lift all ships (people)

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Here's a brain teaser.

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How does increasing the number of people who say "no" to you increase the well-being of others as well as your own?

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It's actually quite simple.

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• Given that a request (or offer) made to another is based upon the premises that

  • you've already determined that if they say "yes" then you will benefit and

  • they will only say "yes" if they see that they will benefit also.

• The only way that you can get the "yeses" is to also get the "noes," because you cannot necessarily know in advance who will say "yes" and who will say "no."

• Therefore, the more "noes" you can get, then the more "yeses" you will get which means you create more benefit for others and for yourself.

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Are you interested in a better world for yourself and others?

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If so, then be creative in all the requests and offers that you can make, finding the ones that benefit you the most and to also find other people who might see benefit in agreeing to your requests and offers.

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Be careful of your assumptions

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• If you need some help with organizing your house, don't necessarily assume that someone else might not get value from doing that with you, even without pay.

• Just because someone has said "no" to you in the past doesn't necessarily mean they won't say "yes" this time.

• Just because five people in a row have said "no" to you, doesn't necessarily mean that the sixth person won't say "yes."

• Just because you made a request one way and they said "no" doesn't mean there isn't a way you could make the request where they'd be more likely to say "yes."

• Just because they said "no" to a bigger request doesn't mean they would say "no" to a smaller request.

• Just because they said "no" doesn't necessarily mean they really understood what they were saying "no" to.

• Just because they said "no" to you doesn't mean anything "bad" about you. In fact, it means something "great" about you. You were choosing courage and your intention was to see if it were possible to contribute to them (and to yourself) in this way. Pat yourself on the back whenever you get a "no."

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Start counting...

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Double the requests you make this week. Then maybe double again the week after that. More requests make you and the world richer and richer.