To get what you want, be clear about what you want.

You may be thinking, “Well, duh, Suzanne. Thanks for pointing that out.”

Once upon a time, I would have thought that, too. But not anymore, because I’m seeing the difference being clear about what I want makes in my life. It’s HUGE.

Let me give you an example. You’re in a restaurant with a menu in front of you and a waiter standing next to you waiting to take your order. You will get a vastly different result from saying, “I’m hungry, bring me something good,” than saying, “I want fettucine alfredo with grilled chicken and a glass of white wine.”

It’s no different anywhere else in life. Yet outside of situations where we’re expected to be specific like that, we tend not to be. Is it any wonder we experience more difficulty getting what we want, then?

It’s not rude or selfish or pushy to ask for what you want in life anymore than it is to ask the waiter to bring what you want for dinner. Rude, selfish and pushy are attitudes or modes of operation which you do not have to adopt. You can just as easily ask for what you want while being polite, giving and cooperative. So don’t talk yourself out of asking for or stating what you want because you think the act of asking is any of those things.

Do yourself and everyone else a favor. Be clear about what you want. Don’t require people to read your mind. Don’t suffer in silence, either. They’ll either say yes or no, but they likely won’t say anything until and unless you ask.