Why “why not” is not good enough

“Why not” is the phrase we use when we mean we may as well try something, or do something, the implication is “it can do no harm”. No reason to do it, but no reason to not do it either.  I’m not talking about the “letting your hair down” feeling, which is both necessary and liberating, but more the sense of doing something because you can’t think of a good enough reason not to do it.

It can be healthy and liberating to do something “for the hell of it”, or “just because”. If we were to tread on eggshells all the time, only doing things that add value or aid in the process of achieving our goals or life’s purpose, it would only become another burden. Often wonderful things have ensued when we just do something “for the hell of it”.

But once we have discovered our authentic selves and get to live our lives purposefully (as it is meant to be lived), there is often a desire to do away with actions and behaviours that no longer serve us. We get to a stage where we do things because we WANT to or because it serves us, and not just “because”. And part of discovering our true self is the understanding of what drives us – our values, or our WHY’s.

The issue I have with doing something for a “why not” is that sometimes, just sometimes, we may not be totally honest about it. We may fool ourselves into believing there isn’t a reason. There is almost always a reason, even if it is doing something out of desperation. We still hope for a specific outcome; it is rarely just “because”. It may even cause us to deflect from our real drivers – our real why’s. A red herring. A detour … and deep down we know it, but do not want to admit it.

Is that a bad thing? Knowing something and just not caring to or wanting to admit it? No, probably not; not in itself. What is dangerous though, is when we pretend to or try to fool ourselves. You know the saying… we can fool some of the people some of the time, but we can’t fool all the people all the time, and I want to add - least of all ourselves!

So – “why not” may be a good enough “reason” to use on others, but it is not a good enough reason for yourself. Get down and get dead honest. Do not try to fool yourself!

Love and light,

Celeste