The Power Of What Ifs
Believe it or not, one of the most powerful quotes we've ever heard came from a fuzzy little bear with no pants. Good ol’ Winnie the Pooh gave us the wisdom we didn’t know we needed, and in just a few short words, reminded us that our thoughts have so much power. It takes the same amount of energy and brain work to worry about what could go wrong as it does to get excited about the possibilities and what could go right.
“What if I fall? Oh, but my darling, what if you fly?”
We’ve all been there: Frozen in a moment of uncertainty, perhaps teetering on the edge of leaping into the unknown. We might hesitate, and ask ourselves, "What if I fall?" It's a natural fear, a concern for what might go wrong. And fear comes to us for many different reasons.
We may be afraid of letting people down. We may believe the lies in our head that tell us that we are “too this” or “too that” or that we don't have the time, resources or energy to be successful. Maybe we let imposter syndrome stop us from moving forward, or get stuck looking back and focusing on the mistakes of our past and allowing them to keep us from redefining ourselves.
One of the most common reasons (excuses) that people give us for not pursuing their dream is that they don't have all the answers. They don't want to do something big until they have all the information, they know their next 10 steps, and they're confident that everything is going to go smoothly.
This is when I want to shake them and explain that if they wait for all the stars to align, they're never going to make forward progress! The difference between a winner and a champion is that the champion took what they had, when they had it, and did something with it. It may be messy, it may be imperfect, but at least it's progress. And it's better than staying stagnant.
So many people stop here. They have a great idea, they get excited about it, and then they let the fear creep in and keep them from reaching their potential. It's normal and it's natural but it doesn't have to be that way. You have the power to change your focus from the things that could go wrong to the things that could go right.
So what would happen if, instead of allowing ourselves to be paralyzed by that fear, we listened to that tiny whisper in our ear, Pooh’s words coming to mind:
"Oh, but my darling, what if you fly?"
In that instant, the narrative shifts. Suddenly, we're not just dwelling on the potential pitfalls; we're opening ourselves to the possibilities that lie ahead. It's a gentle encouragement (from a honey-loving bear) to embrace optimism, to channel our energy into envisioning success rather than dwelling on failure.
Champions are big thinkers. They don't stay in a safe and comfortable space where risks are minimal and opportunities are limited. Instead, they allow themselves to get excited about this big audacious goal and take small action steps to get there, even when they are afraid. Especially when they're afraid.
Remember, courage isn't about not being afraid, it's about being afraid and doing it anyway.
Think about it for a second: What is that big, exciting, scary, audacious goal that you have that you would pursue if you knew it was going to work out in your favor?
What if you weren't scared?
What if you didn't care about what the haters said?
What if you didn't let your past mistakes define you?
What if you truly believed you were good enough, smart enough, and worthy of achieving this level of success?
What if it works?
What if?
This week, our challenge to you is this: Every time a self-limiting thought enters your mind, intentionally and actively replace it with a positive one. Every time you find yourself dwelling on the things that could go wrong, make an intentional shift toward optimism.
This takes practice and it won't eliminate your doubts or your fears, but it will start training your brain to think and get excited about the possibilities. And it will give you the courage and confidence you need to push past that doubt and step into your greatness.
