What If? V25, #02

I don’t know about you, but sometimes my mind races with future possibilities that are less than inspiring. I remember the first time I consciously caught myself in the act. It was decades ago when AT&T hired me for a consulting project. I had planned to get up early that day and start working on the program, but I couldn’t get out of bed. I felt frozen and unable to move. As I began observing my thoughts, I realized I was frightening myself with my thinking.

My mind was fretting: What if I’m a failure?! What if I don’t offer enough value?! What if they don’t like me?! … and so on. I realized I was fixating on the negative and imagining bad things happening. It felt safer to stay in bed under the covers than to risk having tomatoes thrown at me. No wonder I couldn’t move.

Noticing is a power move. When we observe our thoughts, we can become aware of what is happening within us. From the perspective of an observer, we can see that we have a choice. We can either jump on the thought train or let it pass by. Additionally, we can create a different route to take.

That’s the choice I made. Instead of fretting about a negative future, I wondered about possibilities. What if GOOD THINGS happen? What if they are pleased with the experience and they ask me back? What if they receive so much value that they tell other departments, leading to me being hired repeatedly? I was so involved in reshaping my thoughts that I didn’t even realize I had gotten out of bed until I was in the bathroom brushing my teeth.

I invite you to explore your what ifs. Are you allowing yourself to be held back by negative what ifs, or are you inspiring yourself with positive ones? While we cannot predict the future, our relationship with the present moment will shape how we approach what comes next. 

You may as well win in your fantasies. Take control of your focus and direct your attention towards where you wish to go.

(By the way, they did invite me back, several times.)

Blessings and Joy,