Hypotheticals can be a slippery slope. A lot of 'what if's' can lead us down the path of fear, worry or unhelpful ruminations. Boy, don't I know these well.
But, 'what if' can also be a powerful tool for liberating new possibilities and belief. It can be a bridge to questions and even actions that catalyze the changes we seek.
What if I did believe in myself? What action would I take?
What if I chose to celebrate myself instead of criticize myself? What would that look like?
What if my wildest dreams are unfolding? How would I respond?
What if I chose to relax in gratitude for this moment instead of worry about the future?
What if I chose to trust that it's all working out as it needs to? What would I focus on instead?
What I used to think was a personal struggle with poor self-confidence, I've since learned is actually an epidemic, especially among women: imposter syndrome.
I'm guessing you have an intimate relationship with it like I do. On some level, I believe we all do.
But let's name it anyway: Imposter syndrome is a pervasive feeling of not doing or being enough. It's an irrational fear of imminent failure and being seen as a fraud. It's a focus on what we are not, instead of what we are. It's paradigm of scarcity instead of abundance.
If left unchecked, imposter syndrome can wreak havoc on our nervous system, productivity, and relationships because it's the playground of the inner critic.
"What if" can easily be wielded as a tool by the critic here. What if I am a total failure? What if they find out that I have no idea what I'm doing most of the time? But, what if is a two sided tool that can easily become leverage against the inner critic.
What if can become a bridge to our inner sage.
What if their opinion of me doesn't even matter? What if I'm overthinking everything and I just need to go for a walk? What if I chose to look at this differently? What if the toxicity I'm sensing is really jealousy because I'm uncovering my authentic truth? What if the scarcity I'm battling with is really the perpetuation of an unconscious fear handed down for generations?
What if... I'm actually a total badass who is allowed to make mistakes and learn from them and become more of who I'm meant to be in the process?
You see, the irony in leveraging what if as a tool for the inner sage instead of the inner critic is that we must become comfortable with the inevitability of making mistakes and accepting failure. "Failure" becomes the fulcrum on which we can shift our perspective to one of appreciation, celebration, curiosity and adaptation.
What if, my dear? What if you're doing an awesome job navigating a human experience that only you can have? What if you chose to ascend to a new level of love and belief in your own evolution.
And what if, underneath all of the hard, scary, painful sensations, is the magic of knowing that there are other souls feeling it all with you, cheering you on as you do?
What if there is magic in your belief to reclaim the possibility of "what if?"
