Podcast

I’ve always seen the term “what if” as something that feels negative, like worrying about something.

When I was younger, and was worrying about something that was probably never going to happen, I would find myself asking myself and whoever else would listen…. what if __________ fill in the blank happens?

What if there’s a hurricane in St. Louis, MO?

What if we get lost when we’re traveling?

What if I don’t pass a test, book a client, make a connection, do enough business this year, on and on and on.

Every time I would say “what if… blah blah blah”, my husband Joe’s response, literally every single time, and to this day, is “what if does not exist until what is”.

This saying basically means that there is no such thing as what you’re worried about until it actually happens.

It goes back to what I said at the beginning, what if is something that has always had a negative, or really even weak thinking, connotation.

Until now.

I’m currently on Day 61 of a challenge called “75 Hard”. You may have heard of it.

When I get past day 75 (yes, WHEN), I’ll come back on here and break it down more.

For today’s episode, just one part of it applies. You have to read some kind of self development book.

75 Hard is heavy in the entrepreneur world, so really an entrepreneur improvement type book.

You read 10 pages per day.

I’m doing the challenge with my brother and my sister, long distance.

We have become obsessed with reading, and actually both of them have sent me books.

My brother Aaron sent me a book called “Can’t Hurt Me” by David Goggins.

Have you read it? Get your hands on it today if you haven’t.

Aaron and I both have a favorite of the mentalities in this book, and it’s called “what if”.

But not the what if I’ve always thought is the thing.

This is a what if that is positive and gives you an “I can do anything” approach.

A little funny… especially if you’ve read the book… when I told Aaron I was going to do this episode, he said I have to run 100 miles first.

Well Aaron, let’s pretend I did and let’s go!

Now just heads up, I’m not spoiling anything about the book here or even telling you anything Goggins doesn’t tell you on YouTube (here's a link to one of his WHAT IF videos).

If you really want to get motivated and know for sure you can do anything, check out his YouTube. Or even just his Instagram.

His “what if” mentality, is about your response to someone telling you that you can’t do something.

Someone tells you that you can’t start a business, you turn it around in your mind and say to yourself, “but what if I could”.

It’s like a mirror to the person doubting you, not your capabilities.

It turns it back on them and shows a reflection to how they actually think. In this example it would be that they thing starting a business is impossible, so they’re reflecting it back on you.

See how that works?

It allows you to take someone’s negativity toward something you want to do and use it as posivity and fuel.

Joe and I talk about this all the time in our life.

Any time someone tells us we can’t do something, or at this point it might be them telling us we won’t do something, that’s when we say “just watch”.

When we had our intense events rental company, and wanted to add a venue, others said we couldn’t do it.

Just watch.

WHAT IF we can. And we did.

AND PS we loved every minute of it, and it really pushed us outside of who we thought we were.

When our daughter Lauryn was moving out and getting married and we didn’t need our big house in the suburbs, and even more than that, wanted an adventure… and we talked about moving to downtown St. Louis… and people said we wouldn’t do it, or couldn’t do it…

Just watch.

WHAT IF we can. And we did.

And PS we love every minute of it, and it has really pushed us outside of who we thought we were.

Here’s a little bit smaller example, but still relevant.

Over the summer we sold one of our properties and bought 3 more, much better and more profitable properties, and we had to do it in 45 days.

Someone said, there’s no way you can do that in this market.

Just watch us. WHAT IF we can. And we did.

Along this challenge of 75 Hard, I can’t tell you how many people have said to me “I could never do that.”

My answer to that is, in addition to 100% you can, is now WHAT IF you did. Or what if you just tried.

The real WHAT IF is WHAT IF you never find that person within you who can do the things you’re being told you can’t?

OR

WHAT IF you can, and WHAT IF you do.

That’s my mic drop moment for you… but I always wrap up with a hot tip, so here we go… you know what’s coming, right?

Hot tip: This applies to everything that has doubt attached to it, whether it’s your own or something someone has reflected onto you.

SO use it. Do you have doubts about something?

Apply it to anything you’re feeling doubt about or that someone is reflecting on to you.

I’ll give you one more small example.

I’m getting ready to open the Let’s Book Clients membership again, and it’s the first time this year that we’ve done a real open for enrollment type relaunch.

I’d love to add 100 new members, and help 100 more entrepreneurs/small business owners, book their ideal clients and grow their business.

When I verbalized this goal, a friend said, in this economy?

UM excuse me, WHAT IF I can?

This is just a reflection of how they feel about this economy.

The reality is that it’s in this exact economy type that business owners need my help the most.

So what if we add 100 new members. Watch us. What we can? And we do.

Every single entrepreneur/business owner who is in our membership right now is growing their business and making a difference in the world.

So WHAT IF we keep helping more and they keep making a difference in the world too?

Go ahead, watch us all, we can make a difference, and we do make a difference. Including, and especially, you.

Thank you so much for being here with me!

XOXO,

Michelle

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