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The English language is filled with many short phrases that can make a powerful impact. Phrases such as “Thank you”, “I’m sorry”, “Good morning” and others fill our lives on a daily basis. But, there is a simple, yet powerful phrase that I believe can positively or negatively impact your life and your thought process.
The “What if…” phrase.
“What if…” plays a vital role in your life, yet it is often overlooked. The truth is, you think about the “What if…” phrase more often than you’d liked to admit. And let’s be honest, you play the “What if…” game in your mind all the time.
“What if…” questions like: “What if, I go back to school?”, “What if I had accepted that job?”, “What if I moved houses?”, and the biggest “What if…” that almost everyone asks themselves, “What if I won the lotto?” Guess, what? You have to play in order to win buddy. The list of “What if…” goes on and on.
Frankly, I’m not a fan of “What if….” More often than not, this phrase is associated with thoughts of missed opportunity, fear or failure. I’m not a big fan of those options either.
Most of the time when I think of “What if…”; it’s in the context of “What if I don’t try?” or “What if I don’t take this opportunity?” That usually spurs me on to do things that I usually wouldn’t want to do for fear of failure, fear of embarrassment, or some other thought of self-demise.
Recently, the “What if…” almost stopped me from participating in a weight loss competition. Initially, I didn’t want to participate, because I thought to myself, “What if I try to lose weight and I don’t or can’t?” At that point, I had a choice to make. To either allow the negative “What if” to take over or the positive, “What if I win the weight loss competition?”
I chose the latter and sure enough, I won.
I know that a positive result isn’t always the outcome, but it helps to have a positive attitude going into the “What if…” situation rather than with a negative one.
I find that most of the “What if’s” in my life have never materialized, while some have.
My personal “What ifs” were:
– “What if I ask her on a date and she says ‘No’?”
The young lady did say, “No”, but I persisted until she said “Yes”.
– “What if I don’t get married?”
I persisted so much that the aforementioned young lady and I have been married for 6 years.
– “What if I don’t find a job after college?”
I’ve been gainfully employed with the County for 11 years. (Thank You CSS!!!)
– “What if I fail?”
I have failed more times than I’d like to remember, but I’m still alive and kicking.
– “What if you (the reader) don’t like this article?”
If you’ve read this far, you must be interested in something I’ve been saying.
Regardless if the “What ifs…” materialize or not, they should be seen from a positive outlook that enhances your ability to achieve whatever it is you are aiming for.
The phrase “What if…” should spur you forward to do things that cause you to stretch yourself and expand all the possibilities that life holds for you.
All the “What if…” phrases you face will require that you make a choice. That choice can be made out of a place of confidence and faith or looked back upon with regret and sorrow.
I know many people who have regretful “What if’s…” in their lives.
What if I hadn’t divorced?
What if I had apologized?
What if I hadn’t given up and quit?
Sure, I have some of those, but I try not to focus on them and neither should you.
As a suggestion, the next time a negative “What if…” enters your mind, stop and think about a time when a positive “What if…” occurred and focus on that instead. I know it’s difficult and doesn’t ensure that everything will turn out the way you’d like it, but it’s worth a try.
What are some of the “What ifs…” on your mind?
I encourage you to think about how you can turn a potentially negative “What if…” into a positive one and hopefully use those two powerful words to not only change your life for the better but the lives of others as well.
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