Two Words That Can Change Your Life
There are two words in the English language that we use together all the time, usually in a manner that is disempowering, defeating and unproductive. But we can turn those two words upside down and in doing so harness the power of unlimited possibilities in our lives.
When we experience the only certainty in life – uncertainty – it’s easy to slip into a cycle of life-robbing anxiety. We ask ourselves WHAT IF. What if I left the iron plugged in and my house is burning down? What if this pain I’m having is something serious? What if something bad happens to someone I love? We humans have an amazing ability to visualize things that are not real, and far too often we use it to create a horrid future full of traumatic events that are extremely unlikely to ever happen.
Instead of torturing ourselves over a non-existent future, WHAT IF we started changing the way we use the words WHAT IF? What if today I changed the way I respond to this frustrating situation I keep finding myself in? I could eliminate it forever. What if I reached out to that lonely person at work? I could make a friend or even save someone’s life. What if I gave my full efforts to this project that has been on my heart? I could realize my dreams. What if I stopped this destructive behavior? I could replace it with a good one and add years to my life, or at least add enjoyment to my years.
As a mother, I am very experienced in the area of worry and anxiety. At a time in my life when my worry had become all consuming, my best friend said something that has stuck with me ever since. “You worry because you love him. Love is rooted in passion, and we know that passion can become something twisted.” She was right. My love for my son and concern for his health had turned into a twisted mess in my mind. Now when I feel that suffocating anxiety surfacing, I remember her words. It helps me ask more useful what if questions. What if he’s not getting sick, he’s just being a moody three year old? What if my concerns right now are more about me than him? What if I turn this worry into education instead?
What if we all used WHAT IF to explore our own potential?
What if we used WHAT IF to forgive others and overcome obstacles?
What if we chose love over fear?
What if today could be the day that two words change your life?
this is all so true and brings to my mind a few folks that really need to change their what if from sadness to joy – from fear to optomizem !! I’m going to use some of this in the coming week and see if I can’t change a few attitudes!! \o/\o/