Focus on This Instead of “What-If”

I’ve been paying close attention to the conversations going on since this coronavirus/quarantine time frame began. I’ve heard many people express fears of the what-ifs.

“What if I have to shut down my business for a month or more?”

“What if I can’t pay my bills?”

“What if the kids can’t go back to school?”

But besides all the what-ifs, I’ve heard something else — I’ve heard a lot of I’ve always wanted.

I’ve heard a lot of: “I’ve always wanted.”

“I’ve always wanted to home-school my kids, but was too afraid to do it.”

“I’ve always wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, but it was impossible to do it as a single parent.”

“I’ve always wanted to ride my bike to work, but it was too dangerous with all the traffic on my route.”

“I’ve always wanted to learn to play guitar, but I never found the time.”

“I’ve always wanted to spend more time at home with the family, but I need to pay the bills.”

“I’ve always wanted to move away from events, but it was my primary source of income.”

“I’ve always wanted to enjoy a slower-paced life, but I have too many commitments.”

“I’ve always wanted to exercise, but between work and the kids I’m too exhausted.”

We don’t know how long this will take. We don’t know what tomorrow will look like. But I know this:

This pause — this sudden shift — has offered us the opportunity to turn some of our “always wanted” fantasies into “I finally get to” realities.

Families are spending much-needed quality time together.

People are enjoying bike rides and little traffic.

Creatives are learning to play instruments and creating content.

Life has slowed down for all of us.

Has it come with a price? Of course, it has … Everything does. But the price may not be as high as you fear it will be. Things tend to work themselves out.

The stock market will go back up. People will make money again. Businesses will open again. Life will get busy again. We are resilient beings and we will survive, rise, and thrive, even if we’re not sure yet how.

In the grand scheme of life, this will be over in 5 minutes.

So for today, I urge you to set aside the “what-ifs” and be thankful for the “I finally get to’s.”

I encourage you to be thankful for all the little things that you get to enjoy right now because the world is literally on time-out.

I beg you to use your time, your words, and your actions wisely, because you may never get an opportunity like this again. We are in the process of making history. Don’t waste this time on fear and speculation. Instead, use it to create a life you’re proud of — make it memorable, make it special, and make it count.

Start doing the things today that will help you become the “YOU” you’ll want to be remembered as tomorrow.

A MOMENT OF CLARITY

Let’s focus more on the “I finally get to’s” than the “What-if’s,” so we can operate from a place of gratitude rather than fear.

Like I said in Looking Over the Edge, “Pay attention. There are lessons for you here.”

This article was originally published on March 24, 2020, at https://carolinedeposada.com/whatif/

For more inspirational stories and lessons, visit Caroline’s weekly blog by clicking HERE.