Latest / Banish the Lies: Outsmart Your Inner Critic / 11: Monday Moment: What If We’re Rehearsing Fear?

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11: Monday Moment: What If We’re Rehearsing Fear? · Banish the Lies: Outsmart Your Inner Critic

• 0:00
  Happy Monday moment.
• 0:02
  I have a question for you today.
• 0:05
  When I see the words, what if, what comes to mind?
• 0:09
  What emotions, if any, do you notice?
• 0:13
  I've been paying attention to this lately and for me, the thoughts that follow.
• 0:18
  What if are mostly always fear based things like, what if this doesn't work out?
• 0:24
  What if she says no?
• 0:25
  What if he gets mad?
• 0:27
  What if I screw up?
• 0:28
  What if that delivery doesn't arrive on time?
• 0:31
  You get the idea.
• 0:32
  I find it really interesting how much mental energy we give to these imagined outcomes.
• 0:39
  Not only does it keep our nervous system on high alert, but it also quietly shapes what we expect to happen.
• 0:47
  In other words, what comes after those two little words?
• 0:51
  What if.
• 0:52
  Often sets the tone for our day, our week, and even how we move through our lives.
• 0:57
  And somewhere along the way we start to believe that this is just being realistic.
• 1:03
  But really a lot of the time I think we're just rehearsing fear and then calling it realism.
• 1:10
  So here's a small game I wanna play and I invite you to play along if you like.
• 1:16
  If you also.
• 1:17
  Tend to spend time entertaining all the worst case what ifs?
• 1:20
  My invitation is to try the opposite just for today, things like, what if this works out better than I expect?
• 1:30
  What if they actually love my idea?
• 1:33
  What if this unfolds more easily than I'm imagining?
• 1:37
  What if today holds something unexpectedly?
• 1:40
  Great.
• 1:42
  Now I know that for some of us, especially those of us who are naturally skeptical or anxious, this can feel really silly and I get that.
• 1:53
  But I also know this rehearsing worry has never, ever produced anything helpful or calming for me.
• 2:01
  So I figure I don't have much to lose by experimenting with a different expectation.
• 2:07
  So if you feel like this positive, what if experiment is something you want to try out?
• 2:17
  I encourage you to simply notice what shifts when you do, and if something stands out, there is a link in the show notes where you can share it with me or just send me a DM on Instagram.
• 2:28
  I'd really love hearing what you notice and whether you reach out or not.
• 2:34
  My hope for you today is simple.
• 2:36
  May you catch yourself in those familiar what ifs and may you have the courage to imagine something better instead.
• 2:45
  Okay.
• 2:46
  Have a great one.
• 2:47
  Cheers.
• 2:47
  Okay.