Ask Yourself: What’s the Worst that Could Happen? Now Ask it Again!

First ask yourself: What is the worst that can happen? Then prepare to accept it. Then proceed to improve on the worst. – Dale Carnegie

So often in life I think we get stuck because we’re afraid of the unknown. In fact, we’re specifically afraid of not just the unknown, we’re afraid of the worst unknown we can imagine.

How often have you not taken a chance or done something outside of your comfort zone because that little voice in your head immediately warns, “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down! Have you thought about what could happen if you do that? Horrible thing X could happen and then you’d be totally screwed!”

But what if horrible thing X didn’t happen? What if the chance you took actually resulted in something really positive? And while we’re talking about this, why isn’t our first instinct to focus on all the good that could result? Why do we immediately jump to considering the worst outcome? We humans area sort of silly at times aren’t we?

The next time you find yourself not taking a chance do me a favor and ask yourself – what’s the worst that can happen?

Once you’ve figured out that worst thing (which often isn’t actually that horrible in reality), ask yourself again – what’s the worst that can happen?

In fact, go ahead and keep asking yourself this question. You may identify some actual show stoppers, and that’s good, but you may realize that the worst thing often has solutions that you could act on thus making it worth the risk and not that bad after all.

Try it today. I mean really, what’s the worst that could happen? 😉