TOW#569 — Because I can!

When I hear someone say this, it always makes me think of something negative and/or bad. As in, someone did something wrong out of pure pigheadedness and is using “because I can” as the excuse.

However, recently, while spending time ‘usefully’ on FB — scrolling through various negative and dark comments, posts, texts, messages and pearls of (non)wisdom, I came across a wonderful short comic book drawing. A father and child enter a shop and buy ice cream. The father pays and asks the cashier “could you call the manager?” The manager appears, and with a visibly worried look on his face asks the father “I’m sorry, is something wrong?!” — “No, I just wanted to tell you that you’re doing a great job!” says the father. The child, a little confused, asks his dad, “why did you do that?”. Because I can! answers the father.

We as people always have a choice. Whether or not we do something nice depends on us alone. Unfortunately, many of us choose to do the thing that’s bad, negative or ugly. It’s easy to criticise, to undervalue, to insult, to be negative. Especially in an environment that’s negative, or that has, in the words of Napoleon Hill — a negative hypnotic rhythm. It’s easy to be bad when everyone around you is bad. It’s easy to criticise when everyone is criticising. It’s easy to be dark when it’s dark all around you. Whereas being positive, polite, compassionate, caring towards others, to be a light in the darkness — now that’s the hardest part. But is it really that hard?!

You know what!? Overall, it’s not so difficult. I’ll even go as far as to say that it’s very easy. Because it’s all down to the mind, your values ​​and how you position yourself towards the world. You don’t have to lift a tonne of iron or pull an entire train wagon (now that’s hard!). You just need to change your perspective and your thoughts, and say “today I’ll do something positive and make someone happy or make them laugh”. Why?! Because you can! In the same way that we have the power to offend someone or make them cry, we also have the power to make them smile and make them happy.

I wanted to share this story today because I thought it might have a positive effect on some of you and encourage you to do something nice for those around you. And to change, at least a little, the somewhat hypnotic rhythm we’re living in. Why?!

Because we can!

Wishing you success with the changes to come,

Petar Lazarov