When we were in Kenya in December, my daughter had the privilege and pleasure to interview the internationally renowned conservationist and paleontologist, Dr. Richard Leakey. (If you've never heard of him, just google his name, and you'll discover this larger-than-life man who's had a larger-than-life career doing, among many things, saving the African elephant. Angelina Jolie is making a movie about him. Nuff said.)
In a few more sentences you are going to discover how to make the very unlikely, much more likely.
I grew up as the daughter of anthropologists so Dr. Leakey was a household name. When my daughter decided she wanted to research Kenyan elephant conservation for her History Day project, I immediately thought, "I wonder if she could meet Richard Leakey?"
Immediately followed by: "That's impossible." And, all the reasons it was impossible - we don't know where he lives, or how to contact him, or if he's too busy and too famous, or if he would even respond to a request from a 14-year-old girl.
So, my girl and I did the one thing that will also help you turn the impossible into the possible.
We asked.
With the power of the googles, I found an email address, my daughter crafted a request, and we sent it. Within 12 hours she had a yes, and we were working out the details to meet at his office in Nairobi.
People ask us, "How did you get to meet Richard Leakey? That's amazing!" They expect that we had some inside track or some prior relationship or personal connection.
Nope. We simply asked.
So, if you want an audience with the CEO of your company or you have your eye on a project you're dying to do or you want to be part of a meeting or to join a group, stop waiting for permission or for someone to invite you. Just ask.
The truth is, we had no expectation that we'd even hear back. (Being unattached to the outcome is also an important part of making the impossible, possible.)
At the conclusion of the interview when my girl was thanking him, Dr. Leakey said in his charming British accent, "I don't do it very often, but I thought you put in a particularly nice request. So I said yes."
So, get out there and put in your particularly nice request. It's a crucial step toward getting the yeses you want.
Then write to me and tell me how you turned the impossible into the possible for yourself!
Warmly,
Christina