The Power of a Small Ask
I was leaving the eye doctor today when a moment in the lobby caught me—not because it was monumental, but because it was simple, human, and unexpectedly generous.
A woman was tending to the plants in the building lobby, snipping back what looked like a pothos. Without rehearsing it in my head, I stepped a little out of my comfort zone and asked her if I could have a clipping.
She said yes, smiled, and handed me one cutting. I genuinely thought that was it. And I was grateful. Truly. One was enough.
Then she said, “Hold on,” reached into her apron, and pulled out an entire handful of cuttings she had tucked away, like a secret garden waiting to be shared.
We talked plants for a few minutes—how to propagate, how to root snake plants, what to do when a cutting feels slow to root. She even told me how one day she carried around a whole bag of clippings, hoping someone would ask. And no one did.
And I said, smiling at this stranger who suddenly felt like community:
“Well, I didn’t see you then, but I saw you today.”
And that was it, really.
A tiny exchange.
A shared interest.
A connection between two people who had never met before.
It made me think about how often fear speaks for us before we ever open our mouths:
Fear of rejection
Fear of inconvenience
Fear that the answer might be no
But the truth is? If she had said no, I would’ve thanked her anyway and kept it moving. Because I’m learning more and more that the worst thing someone can say is no… and we survive that.
But what she gave me instead was the reminder that sometimes people are actually hoping you’ll ask.
Joy doesn’t always come from big moments.
Sometimes it comes from:
Asking the question
Starting the conversation
Taking the chance
Making the connection
Letting something small bloom into something bigger
And now? Those cuttings will sit in water, then root, then grow, then become a story I carry into 2026 and beyond. And every time I look at them, I’ll remember that sometimes all it takes is a small ask to grow something new.
As we step into the new year, I hope we all find those tiny moments where we choose curiosity over fear. Where we give ourselves and others the chance to say yes.
Because great things really do start small.
Even with a handful of lobby clippings.
Wishing you more brave questions, small joys, and rooted moments in the year ahead.
Creatively yours,
Naana