# The Case of the “What Ifs”

Source: https://zenchick.com/the-case-of-the-what-ifs/
Published: 2012-02-20
Author: Gay Barefield

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 **“Of all the people I have ever known, those who have pursued their dreams and failed have lived a much more fulfilling life than those who have put their dreams on a shelf for fear of failure.”  ~Author Unknown**

 

Have you ever noticed when faced with a new situation, a career change or another life altering choice, you are plagued with the **WHAT IFs**?  ***What if*** I don’t make the right decision, what will happen?

We are all faced with *what ifs *almost every day and they can really drag you down. The mind doesn’t like change so *what ifs* are a great way of keeping you stuck in a rut, never to reach your true potential.

How do you quieten those *what ifs*? As someone who can really ramp them up in her own life, I have realized that some *what ifs* are a good thing. The good ones are the first to appear and challenge the choice you are facing, making you look at both sides. After that they start dogging you every hour of the day. They weigh you down, make you feel like you are stuck and beat your confidence into the ground. These are the ones that you have to let go.

Here’s what you do the next time the*what ifs* start wearing out their welcome in your life. Realize that failure means you let the *what ifs*win and you will remain stuck in your rut. Success means that you let go of the *what ifs*and moved one step closer to your true potential. So turn off the incessant chatter of the *what ifs***,** run them out of town and stand firm in your decision. The strength you will gain by taking this step will far outweigh one more **WHAT IF**.

I would love to hear your comments on how you conquer the**WHAT IFs** in your life.

 

photo credit: [saikofish](http://www.flickr.com/photos/lou/2472430307/) via [photopin](http://photopin.com) [cc](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/)