I was at a talk recently, given by an Interfaith minister named August Gold. During the talk, August focused on the story of a farmer who got caught up in “what if” thinking – “what if I don’t have enough water for my crops,” “what if the stream dries up”, “what if that leads me to lose my farm” – that kind of thinking. As a result, the farmer created a pond, which the stream filled to overflowing. When the pond was full, the farmer felt good, temporarily. Then, the stream automatically rerouted itself around the pond, so it could continue to flow, and found its way through the land of a neighboring farm. Soon, the farmer’s pond began to shrink until it became a stagnant pool, as no fresh water could pour into it because of the way the stream had rerouted itself.

As I listened to the story, I found myself moved by the power “what if” thinking has over so many of us. How often do we find ourselves drifting into future fears by wondering “what if this or that happens” and then responding as if that dreaded future had actually become real? Sometimes, we even create bigger problems for ourselves, as the farmer did, when we take our “what if” thinking into thoughts that generate real anxiety and unwise action. I can think of a number of people I’ve talked with over the years whose “what if” thinking got so extreme that they began to feel immobilized and filled with the dread of imagined catastrophes entering their lives.

When we’re able to drop completely into the present moment, and be just with what is, we have a better chance of noticing the options that actually exist right in front of us. And, when we can be conscious enough to change “what if” thinking to solution-oriented thinking – which looks at what’s going right in this moment, and holds the expectation that things will work out somehow – we are more likely to generate an attitude of more ease and calm.

For this week’s experiment, I invite you to notice the quality of your thinking, and to pay particular attention to any thoughts that derive from “what if”, any thoughts based on fear that look ahead to what might go wrong. Whenever you notice yourself caught up in “what if”, invite yourself to drop those thoughts just as you would close a book mid-sentence. The minute you notice them, shift your attention, without completing the “what if” thought, to an awareness of something that’s going right in your world in that moment. It doesn’t have to be a big deal – just something that’s in place as you need it to be, or touches you in a way that feels good. The goal is to develop the habit of shifting away from “what if” thinking – which is based on fear and lack – and to move, instead, into an attitude of possibility.

As with any habit, it takes time to move away from this kind of thinking, so be gentle with yourself each time you discover that you’ve fallen into “what if” thinking. Notice the quality of your internal being as you shift from “what if” to present-moment thinking. The “right here and now” brand of thinking offers a possibility of seeing options that’s absent in the “what if” style. Explore what it’s like to feel the body state that accompanies an awareness of options, as compared to how your body feels when you’re gripped in the fear of “what if.” And, keep in mind that you’re building new psychological muscle as you shift from “what if” to being here and now. As with any other muscle building, it takes practice and time – and a willingness to keep at it even when you may not be in the mood.