“This is probably a terrible idea…”
“I’ll throw out a dumb idea to hopefully spur a better one…”
“What if they get a better offer?”
“There’s likely no way this will work, but…”
“What if we run out of money?”
“I’m sure someone’s already thought of this, but…”
“What if it doesn’t work?”
Those are just a small smattering and sampling of some of my hedged, scared, squishy, scarce statements I’ve said OUT LOUD the past few days or weeks.
Lord knows the ones in my head have been more plentiful.
Cautiously and fearfully bracing for impact. Anticipating the need for an out or another option. Anxiously awaiting the other shoe to not only drop but destroy everything around me in the process.
“How much of what you feared actually came true?”
As we ended 2021, the highest revenue in our company’s short history, a board member politely provoked me.
With the benefit of hindsight to my then-present fears, I could say, “not much of it, maybe none.”
What if we flipped our scripts?
What if we named our fears but kept them in their proper place?
What if we told ourselves different stories?
What if we allowed ourselves to stop hedging, hemming, hawing, and hiding?
What if we were open to the possibilities of hope, liberation, and abundance?
What if we gave the glimmers and flickers of our opinions, voice, and dreams the freedom to dance?
A different board member of ours shared this comment to me this morning, in response to another what if scenario….
“Yeah, but what if it works?”
Evaluate the risks, understand the downside, embrace the potential for the worst case, sure.
Then walk bravely into the unknown and other side of the what if equation we don’t allow ourselves to hope in enough.
At least at times, I don’t.
But what if it works?
Then what?
