The Easy Ask

Friendship IRL: Real Talk About Friendship, Community, and What It Actually Takes

Who in your life are you most consistently connected to? Is it a partner? A roommate? A friend, sibling, or parent?

Now tell me this: when was the last time you wanted to lean into an interest, and you automatically asked this particular person to join … even though it wasn’t their thing?

I call this the “easy ask,” and I think it’s a universal experience. I came up with the term years ago when I asked my partner Michael to go shopping with me, even though he doesn’t enjoy shopping. (Spoiler alert: he didn’t want to go.)

There are times when the easy ask is okay, and there are times when you should work a little harder to find a more suitable person to join – or just go about it alone.

I hope this episode gets you thinking: Where in your life are you making the easy ask? And what is the impact of this in your experiences and your relationships?

In this episode you’ll hear about:

• How the "easy ask" often stems from convenience and familiarity, rather than a genuine desire for the experience
• Times when the easy ask makes sense, like when you need help with certain tasks or when that person has expressed interest
• Hidden costs of the easy ask, from strained relationships to missing out on opportunities to connect with friends who’d actually enjoy this activity
• Why it benefits to choose the less convenient but more meaningful connection over the easy option

Resources & Links

Like what you hear? Visit my website, leave me a voicemail, and follow me on Instagram and TikTok!

Want to take this conversation a step further? Send this episode to a friend. Tell them you found it interesting and use what we just talked about as a conversation starter the next time you and your friend hang out!