Just ask

I wanted to write this blog based on my own personal experience that opened up doors for me in a very unexpected way.

A long time ago when I was young and applied for a passport so that I could go to Vietnam as a volunteer agronomist, the passport office kept telling me that it was under process, so I patiently waited. Many months passed but no passport came. So finally, I decided to go to the passport office to ask why my passport was being delayed. The officer was a gentleman who explained to me that I was going to Vietnam where there was a war going on so the government wanted to discourage me by the delaying tactics. India did not support the American war there and did not want any Indian to go there.

So, I asked what I should do to convince that I am going to Vietnam for a noble cause to help and work with the farmers there as an agronomist. He said that my file has been sent to Delhi where the big boss will decide what to do with my case and gave me a name and the address of someone who may be of some help in this matter.

I then took the train the same day and arrived in Delhi the next day and went straight to the address I was given. There I met the big boss who received me right away and asked me the reason why I was risking my life to go to Vietnam where a fierce war was going on and that too for 80 dollars a month stipend. I said that many young people like me from other countries were working in Vietnam for a stipend of only 80 dollars a month so why couldn’t I? I did not believe that anything bad will happen to me there.

He smiled and said my cause in noble so I should return home and promised to do what needed to be done. My passport came just after 7 days. If I had not asked him to help me, I would have never received my passport, and my life would have been very different.

My second experience was more interesting that had a profound effect on my life and my career. It so happened that once I was in Los Banos in the Philippines where the International Rice Research Institute is located where I went to see a friend who worked there. While we were talking, the Deputy Director General walked in, and I was introduced to him as an agronomist who worked in Vietnam. He was curious and asked me a few questions and was about to go back to his office. I asked him very boldly if IRRI will consider me as an applicant for a fellowship so that I could come to IRRI to learn about modern technology in rice research that I could then use to help the farmers better.

He was a real gentleman and asked me to fill up a form that he got from his office and attach my credentials and certificates of my degrees and send it all to him. IRRI will then evaluate my eligibility and make a decision. I then went to California where I was to get my MS degree from a good college. Imagine my surprise when one day I received a letter from IRRI that said that it had found my education and experience of working with the farmers in Vietnam was impressive that helped them to decide that I was to be given a one-year fellowship.

I was at that time enrolled at Cal Poly for a graduate degree in soil conservation, so I informed IRRI that I was not free to go to the Philippines at that time. They replied that their offer will be reevaluated when I was ready after my studies at Cal Poly. I was then then sent to work in Algeria for two years so I wrote to IRRI if they will still accept me as a fellow. Four years had passed since that day when I met with the Deputy Director General of IRRI. They said that their offer was still valid. This life changing opportunity came my way just because I asked.

There are many good people who will give you their time and ask you what you need. You just have to be bold, answer truthfully and just ask their help. Chances are good that they will help you if you are qualified and can convince them that your motive is noble. I have written about it all in my Biography called Story of Anil, Chapter four -Philippines that appears in anilthebard.com website.

Another way you can ask your mentor who may be your professor in college who will be happy to give you a recommendation letter that you can submit for a scholarship somewhere for your bright future. There are many fellowships and full scholarships available in many noted Universities or research centers that will accept your application and evaluate your education and experience of working in many countries. You just have to be bold and apply. If you have the right qualification, then there is the possibility that your application will be positively evaluated. If you do not succeed the first time, then try again somewhere else.

Life can be hard if you do not make the effort of asking. I do not mean that you will ask for money or other favors from people. Most people will not help you but there are good people who will guide you in the proper direction in your life. My professor in college who signed my application for a passport without the slightest hesitation because I just asked. Another mentor gave me a job in the college library so that I could earn to pay for my tuition. So, do not be shy and do not hesitate to approach the good people boldly. You will be surprised to know that there are many good people who will see something in you that will impress them.

Some people think that asking for help from others like a recommendation letter is shameful, so they do not approach. They also feel that they should not accept charity because it hurts their pride. A letter to introduce you to someone important is not a charity. They can become your mentor who can give you a helping hand and guide you toward the right direction. You may not know all the opportunities that are available so ask Chat Gpt to make a list for you based on what you want or ask Google.

Lastly, I will give you an example of what persistence means in achieving your goal. Have you ever seen a Woodpecker knocking on the hard bark of a tree to make a hole? It is hard work, but the bird does not quit. It keeps pecking until a small hole appears that it meticulously enlarges and makes a nest for the female to lay the eggs. So be like a woodpecker and keep trying. Thus, you will be able to overcome all your challenges this way.