But, what if…?
For those who know me well, know that this is something I often say. I’m always thinking ahead, thinking of all the possible things that could go wrong. And then I find myself looking for solutions for those problems that haven’t even happened yet. And yes, I’m blaming my law background.
When Gordon and I went on our trip to Iceland, we wanted to drive to Landmannalaugar (the heart of the Icelandic Highlands). However, we’ve rented a car and their disclaimer mentioned that you’re not allowed to drive through water with the car. So of course, on our route, we had to drive through water. I panicked and said we couldn’t do it because it’s not according to the rules. What if we got stuck and then the car would break, we would have to pay a lot of money and we are liable. So it could potentially turn into a legal battle and a court case. And what if then we lost and we would be broke and not able to pay for our rent and groceries.
I know, it spiraled pretty quickly…
If you’re like me, I’m pretty sure this sounds familiar and that you also find yourself jumping to conclusions or creating solutions for problems that aren’t even there. And even though it’s understandable, our brain is making up all these thoughts to keep us safe and to prevent bad things from happening to us, it keeps us from trying new things. From stepping out of our comfort zone.
So it’s all about what we do next that is important. Creating awareness around this, around your thoughts, is the first step. Notice your spiraling thoughts. The second step is making the decision to act differently. To not listen to those thoughts, but to what could open up for you instead.
You can choose to not live life according to all the ‘what ifs’ and ‘shoulds’. Sometimes you just have to take a risk and trust yourself that you’re able to handle all that comes next.
What would open up for you when you start looking for all that’s possible instead of for all the things that could go wrong?
* And for those who are wondering how our Icelandic adventure ended: I noticed my thoughts and the pattern of it and then I decided it would be highly unlikely that we would end up homeless. So we went for it anyway (unfortunately, we had to turn around about 1 hour in though, because then it wasn’t just a water crossing anymore, but a whole lake). And you know what, nothing bad happened.
