What if…

Try this: don’t think about a pink elephant.

Chances are you are thinking about a pink elephant.

It’s an old trick but it still works.

“What if…” is a pink elephant.

You could tell yourself to exercise more. You could pressure yourself, force yourself. But if you’re only seeing all the obstacles you will not start exercising.

Instead, ask yourself the question: “What if I would exercise more?”

By doing so, you are envisioning the future. You are painting a picture of what the future would look like if you were to exercise more.

Perhaps the scale would give better answers, and you would feel healthier.

I should stop drinking coffee. So, what if I stopped drinking coffee? What benefits would it give me?

I would feel healthier. It would safe me some time getting the coffee at a coffee shop. It would clear my mind. I wouldn’t feel so sleepy during the day. Sure, I would miss the moment of relaxation, reading a book on a terrace, but I can do that without the coffee.

I should wrire more blogs. So, what if wrote more blogs? What benefits would that give me?

Well, it would definitely challenge my thinking and writing. I will get in touch with people who are also writing or like my ideas. I would gain an audience and following, creating more joy in writing.

I should draw more. Ah well, you get the point. “What if…” is a pink elephant. I’m seeing a positive future that is the result of the choices I make rather than a future of the choices I didn’t make.

What if you were to ask ‘what if…’ more often?