Why Not?

We get busy. The in-box fills and non-essentials slide towards the back burner. In managerial response we take care of the immediate. Today. Now. Crisis mode. Stress raises cortisol levels until we seek relief. Sometimes a couple of deep breaths suffice, other times a short run or zone 2 ride. At critical mass it might call for a week somewhere in the sun doing little more than work on a tan. 

You may recall a few days ago I mentioned my friend Joe. I feel the need to expand his character a bit and offer him a larger role in this production. Mostly because he is an interesting guy. Joe has spent a lot of time in DC working The Hill. His politics are as interesting to me as his persona. One day last week, as I was struggling to develop a viewpoint that validated my opinion on the sequester issue, I asked Joe, innocently and honestly, 'who is to blame for this farce, is it the Prez or the congressional republicans?' As much as I was hoping his answer would be the latter (which would validate my bias) he smiled, clasped his is hands behind his back, contemplated his response, looked at me and provided a one word reply.

Both. 

Please remember that this is the same guy who commented last week that the answer to every 'why' question is 'because'.

Two concise examples of minimalistic character development that I am sure Kurt Vonnegut, Kilgore Trout and Philip Jose Farmer, who ended Venus on the Half Shell,  by asking 'why not?' would all approve. 

Two words. Both and because. 

Both meaning the two sides in every story and because because asking why is worthless unless you are a homicide detective. 

Asking why is asking for sympathy. Playing the part of the victim. Why me? Poor poor pitiful me. Why now? Why here? Why this or why that? Or, in using the metaphorical vernacular of the training world, why so hard? why so long? why so hilly, windy, long, demanding or challenging? 

The correct question is what. 

What do I need to do right now, this instant, to impact my performance, approach or attitude to accomplish the directive? What is the discipline? What are the elements of success? What must I do to transition from the victim to the first responder? What is the secret? What is more important, asking why or answering with what?

As Joe might say. Both and because.