Today is the first day of February.  Can you believe that 2022 is already 15% done?  If you haven’t already, have a seat with some tea or a favorite warm drink, maybe light a candle, grab your journal, and reflect on January 2022.  Journaling is a wonderful practice to help with clarity, progress towards goals, positive thinking, and overall mental health.

This is an especially nice time to be reflective because we’re starting a new month in a time of the new moon.

Yesterday, I taught a free 30-minute class to help us align with the energy of the new moon.  If you missed it, you can watch the recording here.

In the class, I teach an exercise in what-if thinking.  I love using this little ego trick to help us push beyond what our mind tries to convince us we can’t do – and it’s simple!

In yesterday’s class, we were dreaming big, but you can use what-if for anything, big or small.  The method is this: take your goal, intention, dream (whatever it is) and phrase it in a what-if statement.

For example, if you want to move to San Diego.  Say “What if I moved to San Diego?”  Keep repeating it silently or out loud, don’t try to think of any answers, and just let go.

I did this in January 2021.  Try to put yourself back to where we were then…  We were either locked down or highly restricted regarding where we could go.  There were no vaccines.  My yoga studio was closed.  I wasn’t in Florida (where I had planned to be) because I had to cancel the trip due to Covid.  I had canceled every trip I’d planned for almost a year.  Things weren’t looking great for travel or anyone feeling safe enough to go anywhere.

On the morning of New Year’s Day, I did a what-if meditation, and my statement was “What if I led a retreat?”

Right then, sitting in that meditation, the door of possibility opened for me to have an in-person, destination retreat in 2021.  As soon as the meditation was complete, I journaled about it.

Over the next several months, as the possibility simmered in my consciousness, I started researching, planning, and visiting potential retreat sites.  There was a lot of uncertainty the entire time, but I held close to my heart that it was possible.  What-if…  And lo-and-behold, in October 2021 I hosted and guided a wonderful and transformative retreat in Santa Fe, NM.

Using what-if isn’t only for big things though.

Last night, I met with a client who took the class with me yesterday morning.  She told me that after she took that class, she had the courage to ask her General Manager for a raise.  She told me that going through the what-if practice made her feel “what’s the worst that could happen, they say no?”

I encourage you to start trying what-if.  You’ll be amazed how quickly things change once you begin.