Summed up into two words.
I don’t remember when these two words first entered my vocabulary or when they became an obsession. The words circle my thoughts. Other times, they become an engine roaring, propelling me forward.
I used those two words when I decided it was time to rearrange the furniture in my bedroom. A nine-year-old on a mission can not be stopped. I would close the door and start pushing furniture to create the perfect arrangement of bed, chair, desk, lamp, books. I shoved everything else into the closet.
Just yesterday, I set about moving plants in one planter and pulling out the ones that had succumbed to the summer heat. I added new specimens to brighten the area. Plants that would make me smile and that the butterflies and hummingbirds would approve of.
One two-word question fuels my creativity, whether it’s writing, photography, or gardening. Maybe you say them, too. They are the best.
The question?
What if?
What if I added this plant? What if I added a new hummingbird feeder? I’ve heard that for some, “what if?” wraps them around regrets and what they wished had happened.
Not me. “What if?” is about curiosity. Asking lots of questions, wondering, searching for the truth of what is and what can be. Those two words can change me, enlarge my thinking, and send me on a journey of learning new things, meeting new people, or taking a moment to enjoy a stunning sunset.
Curiosity and questions spawn possibilities. Without a few well-placed “What ifs?” we stagnate, despair, or worse, give up.
What if we were a little kinder?
What if we leaned in to know someone better?
What if we loved a little wider?
Ask questions. Stay Curious. Make possibilities.
Sing along . . .
Try it . . .
When you ask “why”, “what if,” and “why not,” you force yourself to explore what’s possible and not just what is.
—Josh Linkner
I always welcome your thoughts, so please leave a comment
And always—
Be kind. Be brave. Be you.
Photos © Kathryn LeRoy
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