“No. You can’t do that.”
As a child, you hear this saying a lot. Adults tell you what you can and can’t do.
And, rightfully so. My parents told me NO a lot and stopped me from making some really bad decisions as a kid!
But now that I’m a self sufficient adult I’m much more careful about who I listen to. When other adults, friends, or peers tell me what I can and can’t do, I try to question it. “Why not?”.
Are their rules of the universe more correct than mine? Are they saying I actually can’t do something, or is it just they think I can’t do it?
I’m not a rebel. But looking back, a lot of my life’s greatest decisions were made by *not* following other peoples orders.
“You can’t do that” is now a phrase I’ve grown to love hearing. When it comes from people I look up to and respect, I listen carefully. But when it comes from others with no justification or reason, I usually respond with “Why not?” or “Yes, I can!”
Something to think about! Breaking the rules is fun and leads to some interesting places 🙂
– Joel
Baby starfish my wife found at the beach a few days ago!