The Answer is NO

It’s Always “No” If You Don’t Ask When it comes to the world around you, the old adage, “You catch more flies with honey, than vinegar”, still holds true. As an amputee, I have seen this firsthand. When I smile at someone, they smile back. If I say Hello with a smile, I start a conversation and usually educate someone who is curious. And when I ask questions, that I may be afraid to ask (because I don’t want to look like I’m looking for handouts), I usually find someone who has a connection or an “in” to helping me. Rarely do I hear No, but I take the chance anyway, like 2 weeks ago. I went with my son to pick up his new ski boots, that was all we were going to do, but I started looking around and dreaming of a new pair of skis and boots as mine are over 20 years old. The problem? I only need one ski and one boot, I ski without my prosthetic on and with outriggers. This causes a problem because no one sells singles, so I decided to ask a probing question to the guy helping my son. “Do you ever get a rouge ski come in?” His answer, we sometimes get skies that someone leaves behind after buying new ones, asking if we can get rid of them. And sure enough, Gil, at SkiPro here in Phoenix checked my height and ski level and went in back only to emerge with a beautiful pair of Solomons! He literally said, “Here, they’re yours, they were just going into the dump.” I couldn’t believe my luck… or maybe I just manifested it by smiling and creating a connection, a relationship. I decided to see if boot companies had singles they might have because of manufacturing defects and how could I get in touch, and Gil measured my foot and we had the same boot size. He told me he’d reach out to me later that week. Tuesday rolled around and he called and said he had 2 pairs for me to try out. I drove straight down to his shop to give them a go. They were perfect!! We talked while he fitted the liner to my leg and made an insole for my foot, we connected, and I shared my story with him and my joy of getting out there and doing life. He told me about his time he spent skiing and his life up in Washington, and how he’d worked with an adaptive ski program up north and I just thought, “Wow, this was a God wink” The chance that I talked to a guy who knew his stuff, worked with other adaptive skiers in the past AND was my boot size. incredible. But it was about connecting, opening up, accepting that “No” could be the answer, but I might as well ask. I went in that day to be with my son, and I walked away that week with a “new” pair of skis and boots that I can’t wait to use this season. Remember, if you never ask, the answer will always be “No”, but taking a chance on people, asking the questions, asking for assistance with a genuine heart, never hurts. Hey, you may even walk away with new skis! Checking the liner out My new friend, Gil. Thanks, man, I appreciate you! Simple CTA this week. What have you been wanting to try but don’t have the equipment or resources to get it? Go out and find connections. Build relationships in that community. Email people. Ask the questions. You never know who you’ll meet and where it’ll take you! Don’t be afraid to try and hear, “No”. Be afraid of never asking and always wondering, “What if”. You are all warriors, so rise up and get out there. Have a blessed week and let me know how it’s going! And as always, Be Healthy, Be Happy, Be YOU!!! Much love,