Ask
Asking for what you want has unlimited potential upside and very little downside.
Worst case — you receive a ‘no’ of some form.
Best case, you receive a ‘yes’ that would have been impossible to receive had not asked in the first place.
Both responses can be immensely clarifying in their own right.
And of course I’d be remiss if I didn’t emphasize that not asking is an automatic ‘no’ anyways.
Nevertheless, there’s a reason why we sometimes refrain from asking: fear of rejection can make asking feel difficult and nerve-racking — something I’ve struggled with myself.
Like any other skill, however, asking becomes easier with repetition. Rejection stings and less, and your fear of it becomes smaller. Your baseline level of courage palpably rises.
Asking is a vital skill anyone can learn and get better at.