Two tiny but powerful words. What implies a question. If allows you to presume and suppose—moving you beyond what you're currently doing. What if allows you to change your way of thinking. It gets you to go beyond the status quo and find a new way to do things. What if shakes things up a bit.
What if is at the heart of innovation, dreams, change, imagination, and progress. What if dares to do things differently.
To be clear, what if challenges you to let go of the past. What's done is done, and looking back with regret serves no one. What if is about the future. It's about possibilities. It generates excitement and creative thinking. Like a good brainstorming session, what if allows you to put anything and everything on the table for consideration.
Kids harness the power of what if all the time. They think anything is possible. And if it's not possible in their everyday world, they create it. A little girl puts on her mother's shoes and make-up and imagines she's going to a party. A little boy picks up a broom and pretends he's a cowboy. This what if thought process in kids allows them to try something different—beyond where they are today. It makes them think about what they might want in the future. For kids, what if is never about the past. Kids are constantly looking ahead.
In today's chaotic and unsettled world, tapping into your what if lets you acknowledge that you have choices. It gives you back your power.
When you're stuck or in a rut and need inspiration, try playing what if. Don't limit yourself to what's practical. This exercise is more about being open and unfiltered. It's about not being afraid. It's about boldly moving forward.
Imagine if Thomas Edison, the Wright Brothers, George Lucas, Walt Disney, Elon Musk, or Steve Jobs hadn't said what if. The greatest minds in history lived in the world of possibility. What a great gift.
Think about your life and start asking the question, WHAT IF I………..
If you've ever asked yourself this question and it's changed your life, I'd love to hear about it.