Today, I was reading a fun story about a drone show in Calgary. For the most part, it was a regular drone light show, but what made it special was that someone in the audience wanted to propose to his girlfriend. He had the idea of asking the drone company if they could spell out a marriage proposal with their drones.
It seemed like a long shot. Most people organizing an event wouldn’t go out of their way to accommodate one person’s personal request, especially one that sounds so unusual. But he decided to ask anyway, and to his surprise, they agreed. They programmed the drones to display his message, she said yes, and it all ended in a beautiful, happy moment.
What’s interesting is that this story works as a great lesson for business and life in general. A lot of people never even try because an idea sounds ridiculous or impossible. They assume they’ll get rejected, so they don’t bother asking. But this is a perfect example of the famous quote: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” He had nothing to lose. At worst, they would have said no. Instead, they made it happen, and the couple will remember that moment for the rest of their lives.
So if you’re ever too afraid to take action or ask for an opportunity, remember this story. You might be saying no to yourself when, in reality, people would be willing to help if you just had the courage to ask.