You have to ask for what you want
It's terrible, I know. You could have yelled this at my childhood self every day for a year and I still wouldn't have done it. What if they say no? What if you don't get it? What if they hate you forever because you tried to sub a salad for fries?!
That's ridiculous (10-year-old self!). If you don't ask, there is almost no chance at all that you'll get whatever it is you want.
This lesson was driven home to me a few years back while I was reading "I Shouldn't Be Telling You This," by former Cosmo Editor-in-Chief Kate White, in preparation for an interview. The example is work-related, but it's broadly applicable. I told my colleague Jacquelyn Smith about it when she was compiling a list of life-changing business books:
White recounts a time she was hiring to fill a position on her team. After she filled it, she heard through the grapevine that one of the existing editors was upset she hadn't been considered for the job. Kate wondered: "How was I supposed to know she wanted it? She never told me."
Hearing that genuine, confused perspective had a huge effect on me, someone who has never, ever liked to ask for anything. Just keeping your head down and working hard isn't enough — if you want something at work, you have to ask for it. Otherwise, how will your boss, who might be well-meaning but definitely isn't psychic, ever know?