What If

Do you ever play the ‘What-If’ game? I can’t remember when it started for me, but I’m going to guess that I was pretty young. It likely started innocently enough, something like “What if I jump off this swing when I’m up high?” and perhaps it evolved into “What if she was my best friend?” or “What if I was invited to the thing?” Over time, the What If game mutates from an innocent Q&A to something we eventually hitch our self worth to.

We spend so much time hoping and wishing for something to be different, for our lives to look a certain way, for it to be EASY. Maybe you pray, affirm or beg. We focus on external methods to take us closer. We get angry, sad or jealous when someone else is experiencing the things we want. And when it doesn’t happen as quickly for us, the doubt and blame sets in. 

We get down on ourselves. We tell ourselves that we are unworthy and not good enough to be, do or have what we desire. Slowly we chip away at our self worth. Once we are there, then we kick start the blame game. Tell me if any of these sound familiar: 

• He’s/She’s know a ton of people so of course he/she got this promotion.
• He/She lights up the room when he/she walks in, of course people love him/her.
• He/She will do whatever it takes to get what he/she wants, no matter the cost.
• He/She is the favourite so of course he/she got that chance. 
• I am such an idiot. What was I thinking?! 
• There’s no way I can do that!
• I’m such a failure.
• It’s not fair! (I hear this one <—— A LOT!)

We know these thoughts are total crap so why do we deal with our disappointment by justifying something that has less than nothing to do with us? And fair has nothing to do with it. I know for a FACT that you get exactly what you work for. 

What if we tried something a little different for once? What if we wished to be better? Better equipped and more knowledgeable to work the path our dreams and goals are on. What if we WORKED to be better? What if we TOOK ACTION to learn the methods and gather the tools that would take us in the direction of everything we’ve ever dreamed up? It’s my belief that if we took a second to go in, look inside our minds and hearts, we would know exactly what we need. I believe that we dream a size larger than what we are because subconsciously we know we need to grow into them. I believe we WANT to BE more. What if the real prize wasn’t the goal or the dream itself, but instead the person you became on the way to reaching it? (insert bomb sound here) Totally just blew your mind there, didn’t I?

We will never be the same person at the beginning, middle or end of a particular journey. The things we desire require us to make fundamental changes to our beliefs, our understandings and the actions we take daily. Every single thing you do in a day can take you towards what you want or it keeps you in the same place. When we come up against an obstacle that causes us to freeze, the bummer version of the What If game starts again. What if I’m not meant to do this? What if I’ve wasted all this time? In case you didn’t know, a wish or a dream wouldn’t be put in your heart if it wasn’t meant for you. Keep going. 

We are human. Our need and instinct to question literally everything isn’t going to go away, so why don’t we play THIS version of What If:

What if I could be better?

What if I assumed everyone has good intentions?

What if everyone smiled?

What if I decided not to be afraid?

What if I stepped into my greatness? 

What if I decided, just this one time, to do the one thing I think I cannot do?

What if I am exactly all the things I always wanted to be? 

What if I already possessed the qualities and skills needed to get to my goal?

What if everything I ever dreamed of was on the other side of a couple brave acts?

What if indeed.