The Problem of Letting “What If?” Lead Us into Our Future

@bethvogt

 

Most mornings I wake up and wander into the bathroom down the hall, step on to the small electronic scale, and start the morning off with a quick check of my weight.

Some mornings it’s an “all good” kind of day.

And some mornings it’s an “uh-oh” kind of day.

My reaction is directly related to my actions – my eating and exercise – during previous days. It’s as simple as that.

Over the years, I’ve also learned how much the two words “What if?” weigh.

Such a simple question, “What if?” But those two syllables? Those six letters? They weigh an emotional ton. Asking “What if?” weighs down my heart and mind just as if I’ve encased them in virtual cement.

 

What if I things don’t go the way I want them to?


What if I disappoint someone?


What if I this job doesn’t work out?


What if this problem doesn’t get solved – what if it only gets worse, not better?


What if I can’t fix my friendship? My child? My marriage?

 

What if … what if … what if …

I wrestle with the words and always end up exhausted. And I never win.

Why?

Because asking “What if?” is trying to figure out not just this moment or today or tomorrow, which is difficult enough. “What if?” is taking on the future – every last bit of it.

And there’s no way we can bear the weight of all the unknown days ahead of us.

Some days it’s enough of a challenge to manage the circumstances staring us in the face. The communication breakdown with a loved one. The I’ll-never-catch-up work overload. The chronic pain. Even the joy-filled situations like planning a wedding or anticipating the birth of a long-awaited baby can sometimes seem too much.

When we face an unknown situation and ask “What if?” we burden ourselves with an untenable emotional load that settles, not on our shoulders, but on our hearts.

We reach into the future and concoct all sorts of possible answers – all of them imaginary. None of us can foretell the future, although at times we try.

The only way to avoid weighing ourselves down with “What ifs”? To determine to mentally stay in today.

  “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34

It’s as simple – and as challenging – as that. We have to choose to ignore the “What ifs?” and stay in today, stay focused on our now, rather than pretending we know what the future holds for us, and overloading ourselves with all sorts of imagined anxieties.

We just don’t know.

Asking “What if?” leads us into the future one way: with worry. Let’s choose another road, shall we?

 

The Problem of Letting 'What If?' Lead Us Into Our Future http://bit.ly/2VPZS8P #worry #choices
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'Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight.' Quote by Benjamin Franklin http://bit.ly/2VPZS8P #quotes #worry
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