To Riley the Dog, We’re All Just Here to Throw the Ball
Fellow Riskologist,
Several times each week, I head across the street to the park to exercise. Once in a while, I get to share the place with Riley, the dog. She bounds into the playground with a soft bark muffled by the tennis ball in her mouth.
As I’m dangling from a bar doing some inverted rows, Riley approaches and drops her slobbery ball right on my chest. I laugh a little, toss the ball away, and Riley follows close behind.
As soon as she fetches it, she’s off to drop the ball in front of someone else. Her owner apologizes to each of us, but there’s little he can do. To Riley, we’re all just here to throw the ball.
Riley is our newest honorary Smart Riskologist. Why? Because she pursues her life’s passion without inhibition, and she is not afraid to ask for help when she needs it.
A Smart Riskologist knows that to do big things in life, she is going to have to ask for help along the way. None of us can do everything alone. And until you ask for what you want, the answer will always be no. Yet, how often do you dream of doing something meaningful only to write it off because you don’t want to bother anyone else about it?
Many times, the difference between happy people and frustrated people is that one group takes responsibility for going after what will make their lives better, and the other waits for someone else to do it for them.
Riley doesn’t suffer from shame, isn’t inhibited by societal norms that keep many from “bothering” others, and is not afraid of rejection.
Also, she knows the right people to ask: She doesn’t bother other animals or children. She seeks out able-bodied adults, perfectly capable of throwing a ball. As a result, her success rate is high.
If someone refuses to throw the ball, she simply picks it up and tries again with someone else.
She understands the Ben Franklin Effect better than anyone. Want to persuade someone to like you? Get them to do you a favor. They’ll think, “I just did them a favor; I must like them.”
Few people refuse. Riley has a lot friends. And her request is simple and unambiguous.
As the rest of the world goes through each day wondering what could be if they would only find the courage to speak up and ask for help, Riley is busy chasing a tennis ball thrown by strangers all over the park.
Riley is living the life. And you can to if you just:
- Know what you want.
- Ask for help when you need it.
- Make your request simple and unambiguous.
Yours in risk-taking,
Founder, Riskology.co
P.S. For more on overcoming the fear of rejection, watch this video of Jia Jang, our most popular speaker at WDS this year: