Why Not?

Last week I said goodbye to an amazing friend of mine, Jen.  She has battled four different types of cancer over the last 10 years and it finally took its toll. Yes it is sad that she died, but let's face it - we are all going to die one day - so the reality is that it was inevitable.  What is more important was that she lived!

Jen was one of us mere mortals.  She was not a super star athlete, actress, model or other demi-god type of person.  She was an average everyday woman who put on her pants one leg at a time.  She had her demons like everyone else.  She had several husbands, a couple of kids, many jobs, a few retrenchments, and all the other fun stuff that comes with life.

But as her son so eloquently said at her funeral, she had a mantra for life that never failed her.  That mantra was "Why Not?"  

When she was told that she shouldn't drive her campervan around Australia on her own for almost two years she asked, Why Not?

When she was told that she couldn't beat the four different types of terminal cancer that she had over the years, she asked her doctors, Why Not?

When she was asked why she had purple streaks in her hair that changed all the time, she asked Why Not?

After some major surgery on her throat that left major scars, she stuck on some Frankenstein type bolts and went to a party. When people said, you can't dress like that she said, Why Not?

Too often we let the people who love us, who care about us, and sometimes who ARE us, stop us from doing things.  It is not safe, it is not natural, it is not normal, it is not socially acceptable, it is not what business people do, it is not what we should do, it is not how we should be seen, it will scare people away, it will attract too much attention, what if it doesn't work.....  You have heard all of the reasons.

The gift that Jen gave me was "Why Not".  I would love to pass it on to you.

When you are told you can't do something, simply ask "Why Not"?