When “What If?” Calls You Back
When “What If?” Calls You Back
You just wanted peace. The kind of peace that comes with what you were told was the right way to do something. When the rules were followed.
You wanted to please someone. You sought acceptance. You wanted to belong.
Somewhere along this path, what you want and what you have, veered off in different directions. Something of value was compromised. Or a dream traded. What was truly important, you sacrificed.
Time-travel on this divergent path is proportional to the increased resistance felt. Repeated concessions become the mile markers of “What if?” Your internal compass points more towards pain than towards peace.
Normally, I might fill in with a story here to illustrate this idea. Today’s post doesn’t need it. You and I both have our stories, past or present, which immediately come to mind.
But hey, it’s not that bad. It may be hard to see; the path from which you diverged is not far from the one you travel. Course correction is simple. However, it takes a little bit of bravery. Here are the 2 basic steps:
- Awareness that you’re on the wrong course.
- Intention to create a better direction forward.
These 2 steps are a product of 1 theme -> Invest in Yourself Every Day.
Move: Clarity on course-correction happens with maximum velocity and impact when you exercise. You move. Your perspective moves.
Create: Tap into your artistic side every day. This opens news pathways and gives to you the right force from which to take a first step.
Surround yourself with the right people: This is life’s biggest “work in progress” — from your side and theirs. The best benefit of this kind of daily self-investment is the slowly evolving better outlook on what’s happening around you based on WHO is around you. If the WHO isn’t right, be brave and move mountains to make it right.
Grateful: My own results from my Holiday Smackdown Challenge are beyond what I could have imagined. I’ve been reaching out to one friend a day to acknowledge their role in my life. The results have been huge. To whom can you reach out today? Do it.
Simple and fundamental, yes. Free of pain? Not likely. Letting go of a long traveled path rarely is.
It’s never too late to change. You can create change right now. Your better path is closer than you think.
As America’s first ever Olympic Gold Medalist in Whitewater Canoe Slalom, Joe promotes strategies and shares stories for living and performing at your best, doing the work that matters and engaging with purpose. His platforms include performance coaching and consulting, professional speaking, broadcasting and his weekly newsletter, “Sunday Morning Joe.”
