"What if something "bad" happens?"

Ah yes—the universal "what if?"

Let's talk about what I call the past or future imperfect. No—not the way we learned the tenses in language class, rather, the way we perpetuate them in our lives.

How often have you known someone (Your Self?) to decide against doing something because it's reminiscent of an unpleasant memory—or—you're sure the future outcome will be disappointing?

How about taking this knowledge and letting it guide You instead of stopping You cold?

For instance, anyone who knows me knows that I'm not a big fan of crowds. Does that mean I stay at home because I have a memory of a rush hour incident? (think Tokyo at the end of a business day). No. I simply make adjustments to work around this given.

I tend to make my plans for "non peak hours". In doing so, it serves me and allows me to accomplish what I need to do more easily and efficiently.

If my plans happen to fall within "peak hours", then I know the consequences and adjust accordingly. More often than not, I have the option of choice to create a different route:  another form of public transportation, taking a cab, walking—perhaps even changing my plans entirely.

I allow My Self the flexibility to take previous knowledge, let it inform me, use it as a resource, and then act on the information I’ve gathered. What I don’t do is fall into the “past imperfect” by skewing that information and projecting it forward into the “future imperfect”. 

This means that I still celebrate New Year's Eve in New York City. You'll just find me watching the fireworks in Central Park with my Upper Westside neighbors, rather than the ball dropping in Times Square.

When you find Your Self in a moment of choice, dare to:

Stop.

Breathe.

Assess the current situation.

Draw on your past experiences—let them inform, rather than impede You.

Make the choice in the present moment.

That way, your future will work to your advantage and be far from “imperfect” won't it?

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