In the fall of 2005, I was a youthful student at Wilmington College in Ohio. The fall is our most memorable of seasons because of its vibrant colors, and the memories cultivated with it are the same to our heart. I can remember a tale from a college professor that I had this year just like it was yesterday!
He recalled "I remember as an undergraduate student a philosohpy class that I had taken... In this class, there was a paticular final exam I had studied frantically for. This was just the way I studied. Usually, I ended up with a fine grade.
I was a nervous wreck on the day of the test because there was no clue as to what would be on this exam! It was philosophy, after all!!! My own professor walked around and handed out one sheet to everybody with one question: 'Why?'"
My professor left our class in a moment of pause as we imagined the nerves he had been through. So many times in my life, I too, have been brought to this simplistic question arisen from doubt. I think it is in these moments that we face ourselves. For me, it offers an opportunity to review whether or not I want to continue forward with an ambition, or to simpy keep going with the traditional flow.
"As I sat there," my professor continued, "I was in a moment of suspension. A bold inspiration had come to me. All of my classmates had already begun to fill out their papers with volumes of information they had learned that year, but I couldn't resist my urge. I looked down at the paper and wrote two words: 'Why Not?'"
He handed his paper in and walked out of that classroom for the final day.
I've pondered this story throughout my life from that point on. It has brought me to take on some of the most daunting feats of my life.
It's funny. Whenever I am thinking "Why?", I start to question myself and reasons of ambivalence come to mind of why I should not take on a task; big or small. Although, whenever I am thinking "Why Not?", I am immediately given a wave of thoughful possibilities of why I should be taking the risk.
As my professors story goes, he did not fail because he showed lack of effort, but rather, he recieved an 'A' taking a bold risk!
