What If It Could Go Right? – Heather Stewart

This isn’t about pretending everything is wonderful or forcing yourself to “think positive.” It’s about noticing the patterns that may be keeping you stuck and giving yourself permission to try something different.
5 Key Takeaways
Expecting the worst can become a learned pattern of thought. What begins as an attempt to protect yourself from disappointment can eventually become an automatic way of approaching life.
Being prepared is different from constantly rehearsing disaster. Preparation gives you tools to respond, while repeatedly anticipating everything that could go wrong keeps you focused on problems that may never happen.
Familiar thoughts are not necessarily facts. Repeated beliefs about who you are can become so familiar that you stop questioning them and continually look for evidence that confirms them.
Your expectations can influence how you show up. Expecting failure, rejection, or lack of support can affect your effort, whether you ask for help, and the choices you make before you even know the outcome.
You do not have to force yourself into extreme positive thinking. Start by questioning negative expectations, considering that things could go differently, and taking small actions that create new experiences and new evidence.