Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about questions that start with “what if.”
My questions go like this:
What if my boss hates my idea? What if I look like a fool? What if it doesn’t work out? What if my tie-dye sweatsuit makes me look more like a kindergartner than an Instagram model?
This is worst-case scenario thinking. It pops up when you’re trying something new or unsure of yourself.
At first, I thought I had to get rid of “what if.” No more catastrophic thinking here!
But then I remembered a book called What If It Does Work Out by Susie Moore.
It’s written for people who have a side passion, but the message is clear: “what if” can be the start of something beautiful.
What if my idea is great? What if I can be helpful? What if it does work out? And what if I’m meant to make millions as the next tie-dye influencer??
I realized the problem isn’t the question–it’s the mentality.
So many of us automatically think of the worst that could happen. Do not pass go, do not collect $200, do not consider good possibilities for even a minute.
We have the opportunity to flip the mentality. To balance the negative with the positive.
I admit, I still think of a lot of worst-case scenarios. But I’ve started to spend some time on the other side too (and it’s much nicer over here!).
Switching your own “what if” thinking might not work. It might not help you at all.
But what if it does?
To being better without wondering if the sky will fall,
Elizabeth