Live a Little: say “why not” and have a little courage
I watched again the movie
We Bought a Zoo
by Cameron Crowe and starring Matt Damon and Scarlet Johansson this weekend as it’s now available on DVD. In the movie the family lives not just a little, but makes a full life change by buying a zoo and moving out from the city. The message inspires all of us to say “why not” when an opportunity knocks. In the movie the dad tells a teenage son that sometimes all it takes is 20 seconds of insane courage and something amazing can happen. While the dad in the movie was a thrill-seeker, it applies to all of us, and it is a great reminder that often the first step is the most difficult one to take, and after you’ve had courage to take the first step, the rest of it comes easier. You never know until you try, or like Mahatma Gandhi said
“If you don’t ask, you don’t get.” So why not ask and go for things you never though to even dream of or things you thought you couldn’t accomplish?
I know buying a zoo, or moving to another country isn’t for everyone, and I don’t recommend quitting your day job or doing anything irrational on a whim, but add a little “why not” in your life in a level that you feel comfortable – and then work up to bigger things. Why not.. get bright red dress and just go with it? Why not.. jump in the puddles when it rains and feel like you’re a kid again? Why not.. eat dessert first? Why not.. play a board game instead of watching TV tonight? Why not.. get a funky manicure everyone will laugh about but you’ll love? Why not.. refresh the look in your home by getting rid of old stuff? I know, I know, you can think of million reasons why not to do something, but I urge you – have 20 seconds of courage and just go with it, and see where it takes you. I guarantee you will feel more powerful, excited and
you will feel you live a little when you just go with it and give new things a try. As moms we urge our kids to give new things a try constantly, like trying a new fruit, or teaching them to swim, and we ask our children to have a little faith
“no really, kiwis are good, they taste little bit like strawberries, you’ll love them, trust me.” What happens to us when we grow up? Why do we have to lose the same courage or faith to try new things? I know what it is – it’s the experience speaking and telling us about the times it didn’t work out when we gave things a try – and we got hurt, embarrassed or made a mistake. But why we have to be more afraid of the failure than celebrate the successes we’ve had? I know you have those moments in your life that you gave a new thing a try and it was a huge success. A friend of mine was over 30 years old when she tried garlic the first time because she thought she’d hate garlic. Now she says
“I can’t believe it took me 30 years to give garlic a try, now I love it!” So go ahead.. shrug your shoulders and say “well, why not” when an opportunity for something new knocks the next time and just go for it. And if you want one recommendation what to give a try..? Rent the
We Bought a Zoo.
Live a Little
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LIFESTYLE, live a little, live life to the fullest, we bought a zoo 
I know buying a zoo, or moving to another country isn’t for everyone, and I don’t recommend quitting your day job or doing anything irrational on a whim, but add a little “why not” in your life in a level that you feel comfortable – and then work up to bigger things. Why not.. get bright red dress and just go with it? Why not.. jump in the puddles when it rains and feel like you’re a kid again? Why not.. eat dessert first? Why not.. play a board game instead of watching TV tonight? Why not.. get a funky manicure everyone will laugh about but you’ll love? Why not.. refresh the look in your home by getting rid of old stuff? I know, I know, you can think of million reasons why not to do something, but I urge you – have 20 seconds of courage and just go with it, and see where it takes you. I guarantee you will feel more powerful, excited and you will feel you live a little when you just go with it and give new things a try. As moms we urge our kids to give new things a try constantly, like trying a new fruit, or teaching them to swim, and we ask our children to have a little faith “no really, kiwis are good, they taste little bit like strawberries, you’ll love them, trust me.” What happens to us when we grow up? Why do we have to lose the same courage or faith to try new things? I know what it is – it’s the experience speaking and telling us about the times it didn’t work out when we gave things a try – and we got hurt, embarrassed or made a mistake. But why we have to be more afraid of the failure than celebrate the successes we’ve had? I know you have those moments in your life that you gave a new thing a try and it was a huge success. A friend of mine was over 30 years old when she tried garlic the first time because she thought she’d hate garlic. Now she says “I can’t believe it took me 30 years to give garlic a try, now I love it!” So go ahead.. shrug your shoulders and say “well, why not” when an opportunity for something new knocks the next time and just go for it. And if you want one recommendation what to give a try..? Rent the We Bought a Zoo. 
Enjoy Life Oils
Exactly, and often it’s very small things that inspire us to do big things later. If we have guts to wear orange loafers – we might have guts to do something bigger too. But if we don’t have guts to even wear the colorful shoes we like because they are not what everyone else wears… we might not have guts to do something else we really want either.
Naomi
I think this is the essence of Skimbaco and Live a Little: try something out of your comfort zone. It’s amazing how much making a small change can unleash in your life.
Lisa
I love this, it is so true that if we can only let go for those twenty seconds we can do amazing things. You are right, it’s the first step, the first decision that is the hardest.
Shane
It always amazes me when people do something so totally out of the ordinary. I need to work more on just going with it and seeing where I end up. I think my kids will benefit greatly from saying “Why not?” a lot more often. Thanks for the idea.