Written by Francine Houston
Where does your mind go when someone asks you to contemplate “What if?” I’m guessing you went to “what if I had taken that job?”, “What if I hadn’t left my partner?” or some other similar past decisions. As humans we often turn to the past, unpacking our regrets, large and small, turning them over and over, going down the rabbit hole reliving our past choices, grieving, being stuck in the past, and having a challenge with moving on.
We all make choices that serve us in our life at the moment, and then, down the road, when we encounter a bit of a roadblock or see the result of what we now perceive as a lost opportunity in hindsight, we sit in anger or sadness wishing we had made different choices. It seems to be our human default, however, it doesn’t have to be that way. We have a choice. We can choose to follow our patterns and past and live from a place of regret and feeling victimized, or we can choose to catch ourselves and shift into a more powerful and proactive creative mindset.
Rather than going into the past, I invite you to see “what if?” as a gift: a summons to turn your attention forward rather than peering into the rear-view mirror.
It is, in many ways much easier to look at our trajectory: the arc of where we are, where we have been and see a life of the “same old, same old”: More dissatisfaction, more disagreements, more feelings of being unfulfilled and a continuing sense of dis-ease with a life we see as lacking.
I propose an alternative point of view, a different perspective. I suggest to you that there may be another, different way. A way to a life that feels more comfortable, more fulfilled, more expansive, and lighter.
Regardless of where you’ve been, and what has happened, the call of “what if?” can be a tool: a question that can open the door to new possibilities and to seeing new opportunities rather than living in our regrets from the past.
There is always the potential for new choices and the ability to create and pursue new dreams and goals. When we explore the “what if” from the lens of a forward-viewing spyglass rather than rear reflections of our previous experience we open ourselves to discovering new points of view, and new possible ways of moving in the world.
Is it easy? Not always. It is certainly much easier, on the surface, to continue to make the same decision from a place of pattern and routine. If you are content with where your life is and are happy with the way things are going, then, of course, there is no reason to question “what if?”. If, however, you find your mind wandering frequently into that discontent, I invite you to take a couple of deep breaths, turn your attention to looking forward, rather than backward and ask yourself, “What can I create if I look into the future?” “What if I choose to follow my own path and not settle?”
Enjoy the wonder of “what if?”
About Francine Houston
Transformational and Energetic Intuitive. Supporting your Art Journey through memory, recovery, celebration, inspiration, and transformation. To book a free discovery session, I invite you to contact her at.
Email: soulquiltcreation@gmail.com
Phone: 519-591-0837
FB: https://www.facebook.com/SoulQuilt-Creation-105855931841234/
IG: SoulQuilt Creation
Francine contributes to the Wild About Wellness Community online where members passionate about holistic health and wellness come together to share information, educate and contribute for the purpose of learning and growing. You are invited to explore the site with a free 1-month membership. Get your 1-month free membership HERE.