So what if things didn’t always turn out how you wanted?
You could spend a lifetime wondering ‘What If?’ Filling yourself full of regret at missed opportunities. But wouldn’t you rather look back on your life and take a look at the ‘What Ifs?’ That have got you to where you are today?
I have been thinking a lot lately about my life and where I am, maybe it’s because I’ve attended two weddings in the last few weeks as well as the approach of my 30th wedding anniversary in the coming weeks. Moments that have shaped my life in to what it is today were not always positive at the time, but certainly have contributed to the positivity I have now.
What if I was never meant to be a nail tech? What if I never picked up that art brush one day? What if I had never found the courage to go live on Facebook and create a community of nail techs and artists? These are the questions I have for myself as I look at my business and my life, it comes down to the one question really. What if life had been different?
Even the things that didn’t always go the way I wanted have still in the long run impacted my life in a good way. My past has its share of non starters, failures, timewasters and disappointments. But everything that didn’t go right has led to something richer and more deserved.
Right now, I spend two hours every Saturday morning with Jon filming and recording our podcast ‘I HATE This Book’ which generally turns into both of us besides ourselves with laughter and tears in our eyes because we are quite frankly, and I don’t mind saying it, bonkers. I am lucky that, for part of my job, I get to work with my husband, which is a dream come true.
But what if I had never regained the courage to sit in front of the camera, the courage I lost because of a crippling medical issue. The same crippling medical issue that meant I had to change the direction of my business. What would have happened if I had never discovered nails and nail art? Well I never would have become a kickass online course provider and educator. What if I couldn’t have afforded to buy my first iPad Pro and Apple Pencil? Things I was only able to purchase thanks to my business, that then helped me discover a passion for digital art. What if? What if? What if?
It’s that peek behind you when you’re halfway up the hill that shows you what you’ve already overcome. What ifs are important because it is only when you look back you realise how far you’ve come, it means you are able to see how each step, each decision, each what if moment has been a positive impact on your journey.
So when you have those moments where you take stock of your life, or think back to the decisions you made don’t automatically focus on the negative. Sure if you had never made that business decision you never would have lost that money.. but it was from the disappointment you found the strength and drive to push harder to make it back which has made your business stronger in the long run. Ok so you didn’t start doing nail art until later in life and now you love it! That wasn’t a waste of time, that made it possible for you to do it now comfortably and with the support of others.
The ‘What ifs’ have helped me on a journey where I now create amazing courses for you, to help you make those decisions about what if. They made it possible for me to launch Art By You it meant Jon could write his books and then we could make the podcast! There are so many different paths that have led to where I am now, but this is just another path on the way to the one final destination. Don’t focus on the negative what ifs when so many positives have come from them.
