My coach recently invited her clients to ask a different kind of “what if” question. Mostly, she said, our “what if”ing is from a negative mindset — What if there’s not enough time for me? What if my child doesn’t keep up in class? What if I never find my dream job? As you can feel simply by reading these musings, our questions provoke fear, lack, and a sense of not enoughness, none of which inspire or empower our lives. Instead, she suggested, turn your typical “what if”s on their head with positive statements. By doing so, she wrote, “you are giving yourself an opportunity to feel good in the now. And when you feel good in this moment you are setting yourself up to feel good in this moment, and this moment and this moment and….”
I LOVED this idea and had TONS of FUN playing with it for myself. So here are a few examples of positive “what if”s.
What if I’m the student instead of the teacher?
What if I trusted that it would all work out even if I wasn’t in charge?
What if I treated my child as my spiritual equal and partner rather than someone I “had to raise”?
What if I wanted to remain a loving, comforting, nurturing presence for my child long after I was physically alive?
Your turn!
Now I invite you to write some of your very own “what if”s that inspire, empower, energize, and encourage you. Take five short minutes and write down every uplifting, heart-opening, mind-expanding, “what if” question that comes to mind. Ready? GO!
Finally, here are the rest of the “what if”s that sprang into my consciousness when I did my own list.
What if the magic we’re creating doesn’t end but just changes form?
What if new discoveries are as important as finding answers?
What if my abilities are exactly matched to the needs before me?
What if the rough parts really do make the smooth parts smoother?
What if nothing gets in the way of our loving one another — not “screw ups,” bad moods, conflicting ideas, busyness, nothing?
What if there’s nothing to fear?
What if every disconnect showed us how to better connect?
What if loving — giving it, receiving it, savoring it — was my only real job as a parent?
What if I talked to myself the same way I usually talk to my child when I made a mistake?
What if the only “teaching” I did was by example?
What if my child didn’t fundamentally change one bit from the moment she entered this world?
What if I trusted that my child would fashion something useful and beneficial from any and all her life experiences, no matter what?
What if I wanted our relationship to be a life-long spiritual love affair?
What if I wanted memorable moments and connection more than anything else?
Thank you, Carrie Contey, for inspiring this elevating trip down “what if” lane! If you’re so moved, I’d love to read some of your own “what if”s. Post them in the comments below.