Unreasonable Request

Normally when we request
That someone do something,
We tend to take into consideration
All the limitations,
Real or imagined,
Of the person we are asking.
Our main interest
In making the request
Is that the other person
Not be inconvenienced
By our request.
An unreasonable request,
By contrast,
Is definitely an inconvenience,
But it is also a bold statement
Of what we believe
The other person is capable of.
The request is delivered
Without regard to the person’s
View of themselves
As weak, inferior or powerless,
And it is made with compassion
For what it would take
For the other person
To accept that request
And live up to it.
It asks the other person to go beyond
What they think they can do
Or where they normally stop.
We tend to be timid
About making such requests,
Mainly because we don’t
Have a vested interest
In the other person’s success,
But coaches and personal trainers
Make these requests often.
The person who receives
Such a request
Doesn’t have honor it.
They can comply, decline,
Or make a counter offer.
An unreasonable request
Simply encourages them
To go the extra mile
Whether they want to or not.
It is a tool we all can use
To spur the other person on.