I will/would never….
That’s it. I won’t say it.
If I have learned anything in my 57 + years of living on this earth it is that life is unpredictable.
Life is unfortunately not always black and white. There appears to be some gray in there at times and that is why I just can’t say those words — I would never.
What if I allowed those words and that choice to define me?
It might mean that I would have missed out on a lot of things.
I might have never lived in Australia if I had said I would never.
I might have missed out on taking a small airplane flight with my brother while he did telemetry surveys on pronghorns if I had said I would never.
I might have not met some of the most wonderful people that are in my life if I had said I would never.
I might not have this blog if I had said I would never.
Life is about taking risks and stretching personal boundaries at times and when I hear people utter those words “I would never” it makes me cringe.
One of the things that I realize more each day is that I have the power to go beyond the ordinary and be extraordinary each and every day. I may not have the means to change huge things in the world but I can make a difference in my own small way.
By allowing myself to embrace different ideas and opinions it allows me to eliminate that phrase “I would never” from my vocabulary.
When our boys were little I caught myself saying “I would never let my boys do _____” and then I realized what I was saying. Just because I thought it was something I would never support who knew how time might change my opinion on that very thing?
Sometimes we don’t know how we will react to something until it is right under our nose, in our house, in our family, in our lives.
So today I challenge each of you to drop the phrase “I would never” from your vocabulary. It can limit you and once it is no longer a part of your vocabulary a lot of positive things will occur. Open your heart and your mind.
Be extraordinary.
16 Comments
Leave a commentWow, thanks for a fresh way to look at life! Maybe we should turn the phrase positive-,”I would love to…”
That would be a great way to turn it around ! Love your positivity!
Never say never!! A good thought. We need to keep our mind and hearts open to any possibility.
Exactly. I think you have embraced that philosophy very well!
Thanks, Darlene. I try to!
I like to say “never say never” because you just don’t know. Just because I feel a certain way about something right this second doesn’t mean I will feel the same in the future. Perspectives change with the way life changes so yeah, I think it’s a good idea to not say “I would never…”
Exactly!!! You really don’t know, do you? I have had so many things happen in my life and in the lives of those around me that if I had put limitations on myself I could not have experienced a fraction of what i have experienced. Open to the possibilities and I know you live your life that way as well.
Interesting. I have to admit I’m one of those people who do say “I would never”. Like, I would never bungee-jump or parachute out of an airplane, etc. But, though I say that about myself, one of the wisest things said to me when my son was diagnosed was “Raise him like you would any other child, let him set his own limits, never try to limit him.” So, while I’ve tried very hard to to never say never to him, oops, I often say it to myself! Please don’t cringe! 🙂
I won’t cringe at all. Not everyone has the same outlook on things or can be open to certain things and that is what makes us all different and special. I think you have raised Chris with that expert advice all these years and that means he has had a life filled with possibilities instead of limitations. That is the best gift you could have ever given him. Perfect.
This applies to so many aspects of life, both positive and negative. Until we…we just don’t know.
We don’t know. Which is exactly why I can’t say those words.
Hey, I’m the brother Beth Ann referred to, when she mentioned doing a pronghorn (endangered Sonoran pronghorn, actually) telemetry flight. She battled airsickness the whole time, a four-hour flight, with absolutely NO chance of landing, because we were flying on a restricted military bombing range, in a remote and wild region of southern Arizona. What a trooper! She NEVER complained, even though it had to be excruciatingly uncomfortable! Beth Ann definitely doesn’t know the meaning of “no” (although I suspect she might demur, should the opportunity to fly arises again; she’s no dummy, after all…).
Hey Mark! I would do it again in a heartbeat. It was so much fun and I really didn’t have anything to throw up so it wasn’t THAT bad. Of course my memory is not what it used to be so…..but it was the totally amazing experience and glimpse into your life.
Love it! You have to be open to the possibilities and opportunities of life!
Exactly! I know you live your life this way as well!
Not saying ‘I would never’ is a great way to approach life in a positive manner. However, with that in mind, there are some very destructive or negative things that we should say never to of course. My mother always said, “Never say never because that’s exactly what you’ll end up doing.” 😉 Great post today, Beth Ann!