Oh, What the Hey..

Oh, What The Hey, Go For It Anyway!

It has been many years now since I learned this saying.  Over the years I have found myself using it many times.  When my children and grandchildren first heard me speak these words, they thought it was cute, another silly thing about grandma they could share at my funeral some day.  Years have passed since the first time they heard me utter these words, and now they laugh for a different reason, when they find themselves occasionally hearing the words of permission, trust and freedom coming from their own mouth. 

When I first heard the words, I never imagined what could happen by using them..  Now as I reflect on how often, when and where I have used these few words I understand more fully the power they hold.  Today, I feel blessed and honored that someone chose to share these few words with me.

The first time I used these words was while shopping.  I found myself looking at something I wished I could buy while at the same time giving myself a list of reasons I shouldn't or couldn't buy it (money is tight, you haven't paid all the bills yet and can't know if you will have enough, the kids need shoes or clothes more than you need this,  it is more than you planned on spending...).  Previous to learning these words, as soon as the list of reasons not to buy would begin, I would walk away, believing it was impossible and denying myself whatever pleasure I thought the item would bring for myself or others.   One day though I found these words coming to mind.  More importantly I remembered being challenged to try out the words and see what happened.  So I said the words out loud - "What the Hey, Go For It Anyway" and bought the item.  I don't remember what it was, I know it wasn't something big.  What I do remember is the feeling of joy at doing something good for myself.  The world did not end because I bought something extra.  The children did not go without dinner because I had used an extra few dollars that day.  I was not struck by lightning for making a bad decision or being selfish. 

I began to use the words in other circumstances.  "What The Hey, Go For It Anyway" meant it was OK to buy a pair of shoes as well as the pair of boots for one of the children even if I didn't know how I was going to pay the electric bill the following week.  The words meant the children and I went to a movie even though I was worried about money because my employment contract was ending soon.   I used the words as permission to take a risk in submitting resumes to larger corporations than I had worked with in the past.    Each time I used the phrase, I found things seemed to work out.  If I spent a few dollars more here I found I chose to save a few dollars somewhere else.  If I spent time doing something I liked, I spent less time worrying about what I couldn't do.   Taking an employment risk was hard but I learned a new business skill. 

Through the years I have learned over and over the power of these few words -"What The Hey, Go For It Anyway".  It means trusting that things will work out even if you do not understand how or when.   It means trusting that taking a risk will bring unexpected results.   These words remind one it is OK to have belief in and put  trust in a higher power, energy, knowledge or source of strength.   These words allow a person to trust and believe in  himself,.  These words give permission to experience freedom,  to relax, to stop worrying and to let go.  They empower someone to reach out for something higher, something new.  These words contain the energy to move, run, play, try, progress and grow.

It is my wish today to pass these words on to you. I encourage you to use them at least once during the next week.  See if these simple few words will make a difference in your life.  I know they have in mine. 

Enjoy Being Creative

Creativity is individual.  It is not something which can be defined, explained or taught.  Creativity is not something exact, able to be replicated exactly the same way each time from one person to another.   The results of creativity can be shared but creativity itself is a gift that cannot be given away.  Creativity is a part of every person.  It may not be developed in the same way, but it still exists for everyone in some form. 
It is a perception of form that keeps many people from enjoying and using their creativity.  They look at a painting someone has done and decide they could never paint that well, so they never pick up a brush and discover the artist hiding within.  Another hears a song on the radio and decides they could never write or sing like that, so they refrain from sharing the lullaby with a child or humming a tune just because the notes seem to come randomly to mind.   Another reads a best selling novel and decides they could never write something as powerful or moving as this story, so they neglect to share their thoughts in a journal, write a story for their child or share a memory in a letter to a friend.  Someone else goes to a fair, intrigued by the beautiful quilts and afghans on display yet feeling they do not have the time or skill to create something that lovely, so they don't enjoy the pleasure of creating a small gift for themselves, a child or a friend.  


From Karla's Karvings (Facebook)

Creativity comes in all forms, and I encourage you to find yours.  It doesn't have to be the same as what someone else does.  Enjoy their creativity.  Look, touch, feel, hear, smell and taste the results of what others create.  Then enjoy your own form of expression and freedom.
I envy the things that my father and sister create from wood.  They both are artists when it comes to carving.  Yet even though they carve the same things, each of their creations are different, and no two carvings are exactly alike.  As for me, I usually end up cutting my finger when I put a pocket knife near a piece of wood, but there was a time when I crafted a fireplace for a doll house I wanted to create.  Not of the same level as my sister's work, but still something I can be proud of.   On the other hand I enjoy writing and have shared as many stories through the years as they have their carvings, with the same enjoyment of enhancing someone else's life.  
The point is, due what you enjoy or what seems natural for you.  Don't worry if it is the same as, different,  better or worse than something someone else creates.  It is what you created, and that makes it unique and beautiful.  It is, whatever it is, something only you could create.  So find your creativity and share it with someone you care about.