What if

Am I the only one who spends too much time on the "what ifs" of life? I wonder what they will think; what if it makes things awkward; what if they don't agree with me; what if I am wrong; what if if makes me look foolish; what if...

"What if" often leads me to doing nothing. I let my insecurities keep me from living life at its fullest. Can we become too passive and settle for just okay because we are afraid of the "what ifs"? It may be okay for me to ask "what if" sometimes, maybe even wise, but I can't let it keep me from moving forward. Caution isn't bad, but fear of the unknown or being uncomfortable can't be an excuse for not taking action.

I think I realized today that if I keep from doing the hard things because of my insecurities, accepting that things can't change, and that the risks aren't worth moving forward; then I may some day reach the point that I am asking a different kind of "what if" question. "What if" I had tried to make a difference, what if my silence lead to a friendship being lost, what if my insecurities kept me from impacting someones life, what if...

Towards the end "what if" sounds more like regret than caution. Will I fall? Will I make mistakes? Will I still feel insecure in my decisions? - probably, but I would rather try to pursue what is right, than live passively and with regret for the things that might have been.

"What if" can be seen with the view of the glass as half empty, but it can also see the potential of the glass as half full. I want to live a life of risk, not one that settles. So what do you think? What if...