The Power of “What If?”
When my kids were little, they were obsessed with the PBS cartoon Wild Kratts. The premise? Two brothers travel the world, discover amazing animals, and borrow their “creature powers” to fight off villains. Every episode started with the same magical question:
“What if…?”
What if you could swim like a dolphin? Leap like a monkey? Charge like a rhino?
It’s a beautiful prompt that nudges kids into wonder and curiosity. It gets them dreaming about what might be possible. But here’s the thing: as adults, we tend to flip that script. We spend a lot of our time focusing on what isn’t possible.
From the moment the alarm goes off, we can start the story: Ugh, life is such a drag. I have too much to carry. I don’t want to do this day.
But… what if?
What if today went smoothly?
What if something wonderful surprised you?
What if that hard conversation turned out easier than you feared?
What if you finally had a breakthrough?
What if there’s actually nothing missing in your life right now?
What if you already have what you need to enjoy today?
Our brains love to rehearse dread. But how often do your worst-case scenarios actually come true? How many times have you been sure the sky was falling—only to end the day breathing, alive, still standing?
Maybe it’s time to hop off the dread train and experiment with your own “What if?”
Next time your mind starts listing all the terrible possibilities, pause. Try flipping the question. What if things went well? You don’t have to fully buy it at first—just let the idea linger.
What if today was a good day? What would that look like?
Happy to be in your corner,
Tom Page, LCPC
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