if you’re going to ask what ifs… at least do it right!
perspective
often i find myself asking some sort of “what if”. recently, it has been — what if i fail? what if i don’t look good? what if i’m judged? These would be about a variety of things, anything from something new i’m trying to a simple Instagram post.
i’ve done this so much in the last couple of weeks that i started getting mad at myself. where was my confidence? where was the hope and faith i always talk about? what happened to trusting that everything will work out the way it’s supposed to?
that’s when i realized — i’m thinking about this all wrong.
there are always two perspectives to things. the side i’m overthinking about it, and the side that is (or can be). if i can think “what if i fail?”, then why don’t i think “what if i succeed?”. it’s not only “what if i don’t look good?”, it’s also “what if i exude confidence such that i do look good?”. if they judge me, so be it, but what if they love what i’m doing?
it is so easy for us to be negative about what we are anxious about. i get it. while it’s harder to remember to look at the bigger picture, the optimistic, and the ideal outcome, it’s also hard to bask in our own darkness.
going forward, i really want to be more mindful of this. one of my biggest beliefs is that you are what outlook you have on life. if you tend to be more positive, things will seem that way… and vice versa. so the next time you think about something going wrong, try to also remember that it also can (and hopefully will) go RIGHT!
take that risk. ask that person out. try something new. and say yes more.
who cares if it doesn’t go the way you wanted it to? that’s the whole point of life. its beauty comes from both of those perspectives. otherwise, we will only ever know failure or success, bad or good, wrong or right. never both.
prioritize both.
here’s a famous quote you may have heard before that i want you to remember:
“there is a freedom waiting for you, on the breezes of the sky, and you ask,
‘what if i fall?’
‘oh but my darling, what if you fly?’”
-eric hanson
well, that’s all from me!
cheers, and so much love,
apuroopa