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Go For It
by Guy Spiro

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There is an old saying used in advertising sales that goes, “If you advertise, you don’t know what will happen. If you don’t advertise, you do know what will happen.” Now of course, this is a line used by a salesperson to encourage a customer to spend money, but it is true nonetheless. If you advertise, you don’t know if people will respond or not. There may or may not be great results from your effort. The phone might not ring at all. But if you don’t advertise, you do know what will happen. You know that there will be no results. You know that the phone will not ring. If you don’t give the universe a chance, then it can’t deliver that which you desire.

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” is another old saying that means much the same. How many times have you and those around you failed to achieve something by simply not making the initial effort? If you walk up and talk to the girl after the seminar, she may or may not be receptive. But if you don’t, she may not know you’re alive. An amazing relationship may happen if you take the chance, but it cannot if you do not. If you apply for that new job, you may not get it, or a wonderful new career may develop. But if you don’t apply for the job, you will not get it.

It is said that God helps those who help themselves. It’s like the old joke about the minister who thought that he was such a good Christian that God would arrange for him to win the Lottery. Week after week he prayed fervently, and week after week he did not win. Over time he grew more and more disappointed. Finally God spoke to him and said, “George, meet me half way, buy a Lottery ticket.” If we don’t take the first step toward achieving our goals, then we have little chance of attaining them.

Often times it is fear that keeps us from taking that first step. I am reminded of a friend of mine who was contemplating a step toward what he desired, but that step had some risk connected to it. The way he finally put it was, “If I do this I may regret it for the rest of my life. But if I don’t do it I will regret it for the rest of my life.” What do we want to remember in our old age, the things we tried and either succeeded or failed at, or the things we wish we had tried to do but passed up the opportunity?

Now of course I’m not advising anyone to go out and do stupid things that really have no chance of success. Don’t go jumping off of buildings to see if angels will catch you. But do have the courage to go for what you want that is in the realm of possibility. Remember that even if you don’t succeed in what you attempt, the effort will open other doors that you can’t even anticipate. It is doing nothing that will bring you more of the same.

Go for it.