believe in yourself, stop saying "what if"

I believe that within all of us is untapped potential.

However, I constantly find myself playing the "what if" game. And if you know this game as well, then you know that the background conversation playing in your mind goes something like "What if I'm not good enough? What if I don't get the job? What if I don't pass the test? What if they don't like me? What if the worst case scenario happens? What if I'm not a good enough writer.artist.student.employee.person.friend.parent? What if I fail?" 

If you know yourself or are in the process of getting to know yourself, you might find that this game comes from a place of insecurity or belief that we are not enough… And if it doesn’t consciously start from that place, it often takes us there. I don’t always realize it, but somehow insecurity, feelings of inadequacy, and anxiety start surfacing. When I engage myself in this way, I encourage negative thoughts, energy, and emotions. I stress myself out by creating worst case-scenarios, catastrophizing events, and imagining all the ways in which things will fall apart. And usually, my "what if" scenarios lead me to believe that the challenges ahead of me are more difficult than my ability to conquer them - that the challenge surpasses my capabilities. We sell ourselves short in this incessant stream of thinking and believing that we are less capable than we truly are.

I think we should all try to play a different "what if" game; one that encourages thinking about possibilities rather than limitations. One that fosters imagination, breaks down walls, and involves expanding ourselves to be more than we have ever considered. This "what if" game is about believing in ourselves. It’s about coming from a place where we are enough. This game is about knowing that we can do the work and that we can get to that place within ourselves and in the world that we never thought we’d see. This kind of thinking acknowledges that we have the ability to grow, to develop, and to improve. It's about creativity, experimenting, and playfulness.  It’s about imagining all of the possibilities and knowing that they are out there for us to grasp.

And so here’s mine:

• What if I woke up every morning and set an intention for the day?
• What if I stayed focused on each intention and worked diligently on my goals until I accomplished them all?
• What if I devoted this year to working on my goals in a way I have not done before?
• What if I was consistent in my efforts?
• What if I acknowledged that I have enough time?
• What if I stopped listening to negative self-talk?
• What if I tried harder each time that I failed?
• What if I gave myself permission to fail?
• What if each action and behavior was chosen from love?
• What if I spent less time on my cell phone and more time investing in my relationships? In myself? In my community?
• What if I wrote every day?
• What if I expanded my mind every day?
• What if I took risks?
• What if I started today? Right now?
• What if I was limitless?

Do you feel the difference?

When we open ourselves up to the possibilities we begin to pave the pathway for our goals to unfold.  Train your mind to look within yourself in a new way, and train your inner voice to build you up to your capabilities instead of breaking you apart through your insecurities.

I have this belief that we are all incredible.  That if we sat down and took the time to look within ourselves, to get to know ourselves, and committed to the process of achieving our heart’s purpose, that we would astound ourselves and one another in what we could accomplish.