What If You Created Space for the Big, Fat, Juicy ‘Imagine if‘?

We live in a culture that focuses far too much energy on all the “what ifs” that may of may not happen in your life on a daily basis.

Our energy is either spent rehashing the past, and playing that tape over-and-over-and-over again, or we spend our precious focus on projecting the worst-case scenarios we can possible dream up.

Because that’s what we actually do … we dream them up.

For in reality, most of our conjured ‘what ifs’ have never even happened and we find ourselves using precious energy (and time) making up a bullshit story to make the daunting ‘what if’ plausible.

Most ‘what ifs’ are negative in the context and illustration. Such as: What if I fail? What if I go bankrupt? What if the sky falls? What if I get eaten alive? (OK, I know … I am being a bit ridiculous, but these are the stories we tell)

The common retort if you operate in a coaching mindset, as I do (and, I have often said this to my clients when they are spiraling fast in the abyss of ‘what ifs’) is to respond, “But, will you die?” or “Is that real? Really real? What’s the absolutely worst thing that could happen in this instance? And, what’s the probability of that actually happening? ”

We are doing nothing but telling ourselves stories when we allow the ‘what ifs’ (which often times are triggered by imposter syndrome) to take over, and then take us down. We spend countless hours obsessed in this space, too.

I mean, humans are fantastic storytellers. Now, before you tell me that you’re not a very good storyteller, let’s dig into this a little more …

Let’s look at all the excuses you create (yes, you do) … yep, stories. How about all the things you think you ‘can’t’ do … yep, stories. Or, all of the worst-case scenarios you entertain on the regular … yep, stories.

All stories. The amount of stories we tell ourselves … endless.

Humans are wired for stories. Whether you like it (or believe it) or not, you are constantly (and often time, unconsciously) telling yourself limiting stories and putting them on repeat.

These stories become your truth, your reality. And, rather than pause to ask, “Does this story really serve me or the future I wish to create?”, we succumb, hook, line and sinker, and let the broken record play.

The crazy part is that requires far more energy for you to create and maintain the bullshit story that goes with your daunting and dire ‘what if’ than you think … or, in the energy to play ‘imagine if’ instead.

I know that may seem counterintuitive, but it’s true.

You not only have to create the frame for the ‘what if’ to fit into and live (plant the actual seed), you also have to keep finding proof along the way to convince your brain this is true so that you mind doesn’t think it’s crazy.

Ah, the beauty and curse of freewill.

You see, the Universe will never interfere with your freewill. What you tell yourself, is what it is required to respond to and act on.

Your Mind (the one taking you down this slippery slope) does not know how to distinguish between what’s real versus what’s imagined. It only knows what you tell it (feed it) and holds onto that as its truth and reality.

The Universe is extremely obedient. It responds to what you choose to focus on. As the saying goes:

“What you think about and speak about, you bring about.”

100% true. Everything in your present life is a function of a thought and belief you held. One that you breathed life into and spoke about … even if just to yourself. Whatever you gave energy to (consciously or unconsciously) is being illuminated in the now.

So, if you are worrying about the ‘what ifs’ that might play out somewhere down the line, and constantly talking about what awful thing might happen to you, the Universe has to bring you something that aligns with that belief (and energetic vibration) so that you don’t think you’re crazy.

It works to prove you right.

Crazy, right. Or, perhaps it’s actually brilliant when we understand it and the power our own freewill and agency to decide what we focus on.

Imagine if you changed the frame. With a simple shift, you can start to align yourself with what you truly desire, not what you fear.

Change the frame from ‘what if’ to ‘imagine if’ instead …

Can you already feel a energetic difference between those to phrases as you say them? The energy of ‘what if’ often times feels heavy, dense … it stems from a place of fear, doubt, anxiety, and worry.

Whereas, the energy of ‘imagine if’ is entirely different. It’s lighter, more expansive, and even playful in nature. It activates a sense of curiosity and catalyzes you to tap into your ability to dream and imagine.

That’s the magical part: when you use the phrase ‘imagine if’ you are actually creating a powerful command to your mind to start dreaming. To access and play with the infinite field of potential and abundant, limitless possibilities. It activates a sense of awe and wonder, and opens your heart.

The best part is that it requires far less energy than that of staying stuck and being hostage to the almighty ‘what ifs’. Here’s the reason why … it’s because those dreams (those stories) already live inside you.

They are part of your path, your Soul Curriculum, your purpose, and they are yours to access and manifest right now. As Napoleon Hill stated:

“Whatever your mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”

Read that again: “Whatever YOUR mind can conceive and believe, it CAN achieve”. Meaning you can achieve any dream that holds your focus and energy, that you truly desire. You just need to dream it and believe it.

The Universe is designed to support you. Suffering is a human thing.

It doesn’t have to be hard, unless you make it so. it’s about rewriting YOUR narrative and taking the reins in your own hands to fully align energetically to the frequency and vibration of what you want to call in.

And, then it’s about letting go. Releasing the need to control it (which comes from ‘what if’ energy … from fear and worry, not from a trusting space of ‘imagine if’) and allowing the Universe to do her thing. Your job is take inspired action when it presents and hold the vibration of what you want.

That starts with aligning to the energy of play, of dreaming, of activating your imagination. To unleash the potent desires and magic that have been dormant inside you because you have stayed stuck in fear.

You need space to do just that.

Real space. White space. Empty space. Space to allow for breathing room in between all the hustle and grind, and BUSY, you have created for yourself … most of which comes from those ‘what ifs’ you buy into.

Imagine if you made a different choice.

You can make a different decision right now.

Imagine if you dared to dream a bigger dream for yourself.

Imagine if you were honest about what you truly desire.

When I work with clients, and they start to spiral down the slippery slope of despair and all the mighty ‘what ifs’, I play a game with them and have them immediately tell me five ‘imagine ifs’ instead.

For instance, it might go something like this:

• Client: “What if I fail?”
• Me: “Let’s change the frame. Give me 5 ‘imagine ifs’ instead. So, what might the first ‘imagine if’ be.”
• Client: “Well, imagine if I succeeded.”
• Me: “OK, keep going … another one.”
• Client: “Imagine if I succeeded so well that I generated 7-figures in my business this year.”
• Me: “Great, keep going …”
• Client: “Imagine if I succeeded and created a travel fund for myself, then I could go on that vacation I have been putting off to Italy.”

Now, I am going to pause here after the first three ‘imagine ifs” … and, here’s why: For most people, the first three ‘imagine ifs’ are relatively easy. The first is usually just the opposite of the negative ‘what if’ statement.

Then, most people can usually play with a few more … up to a point.

That’s where the real magic and power come in.

Bringing my client to their #4 and #5 ‘imagine if’ requires a little more from and of them. More presence. More truth. More heart. More imagination.

This is when their entire beinginess and body shift. They start to really dig deep and let themselves feel into the energy of what they are envisioning and playing with. You can feel it, as it’s palpable.

And, this is where is gets super juicy … and, where sometimes, we even stumbled onto their real why. Their powerful, compelling why.

It can get pretty emotional. It gets super expansive. And, it hits on the truth of what is most meaningful and real for them.

Let me demonstrate further …

• Me: “Awesome, I love that … now, give me #4 and #5.”
• Client (digging deep): “Imagine if I succeeded so much that I could create new jobs in my community and build a culture people loved to work in.”
• Client (now, totally lit up): “Imagine if I could write a million-dollar check to save all the puppies and fund a beautiful dog rescue shelter.”
• Me: “Wow!”

Both the client and I now are crying as they are so empowered and alive, and wide open to ALL the possibilities. The air around us is electric and they are bouncing in their seat, breathless, with pure excitement and delight as their heart is fully open and engaged.

(In fact, I even have tears in my eyes right now as I share that example.)

THAT is what’s truly possible.

I have witnessed and experienced this exact scenario so many times in my 1:1 coaching, group programs and workshops. Simply by changing the frame from ‘what if’ and conjuring up all the unfortunate negative things that could happen, I help them shift by redirecting the energy into a beautiful, expansive space of ‘imagine if’.

You can do this, too. You just need to carve out space to play.

So, tell me what are you 5 “imagine ifs’ for that “what if” statement that’s is holding you back. I would love to hear from you as you play with your new unlimited realm of possibilities.

For more, please follow me on Instagram: @candy_barone or LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/candybarone/ tune into my podcast: Aligned As F*ck