I, like many others, am always afraid when it comes to trying new things. What if I fail? What if I’m not good? What if I look dumb? What if I embarrass myself?
I’ve slowly but surely come to understand one thing: it’s not the end of the world and I’m going to be just fine. Going into the unknown can be scary. Not knowing what might happen can be terrifying.
This is why so many people end up on their deathbeds with regret. Most people will live a life of unfulfilled dreams, always waiting for ‘the perfect time’ to make the jump. There is no perfect time. In the words of John Cena, “the time is now.”
No matter what your dreams and aspirations are, I want you to really take a second to think about these two questions:
- What’s the worst that could happen?
- What’s the best that could happen?
No matter what the answer may be, the best that could happen is always going to outweigh the worst.
Let’s look at someone who wants to start an e-commerce business. What’s the worst that could happen? I’d venture to say it’s taking on loads of debt, running out of money, and filing bankruptcy. Yeah, that would be shitty. But you know what? Bankruptcy isn’t going to kill a person. It may suck for a little bit, but eventually, it will all be fine and they can try again. Just make sure you declare bankruptcy, not just say it. IYKYK.
Now, what’s the best that could happen? I’d say the best that could happen is that the business takes off, adds significant value to customers’ lives, brings in boatloads of money, can afford to hire employees and provide them with a living, and in general, makes society better.
To me, it sure seems like the best that could happen certainly outweighs the worst. One is literally changing the lives of people while one is just a temporary setback.
This line of thinking doesn’t have to just be applied to business or money. It can be applied to anything in life. Have you always wanted to show your artwork to people, but you’ve been too afraid to? What’s the worst that could happen? Is there someone at work or school you’ve always to converse with, but you’re worried about rejection? What’s the worst that could happen?
I thought about creating this blog for years before actually doing it. I was scared about what people would think of my writing and I was afraid I would fail. But I finally asked myself, what’s the worst that could happen? I did it anyway because I know that no matter what happens, at the end of the day, I’m going to be just fine.
Starting now and for the rest of your life, if you’re ever scared or worried about trying something new, ask yourself, what’s the worst that could happen?
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