

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Playing the What If Game

Sometimes things tend to get a little serious on the path of self improvement and personal growth. We focus on all that hasn't happened yet in our lives, and all the changes we still have to implement. So I thought I'd use this post to bring things back to a fun vibe, and introduce you to a game!

The What If game is a game that’s popular in law of attraction circles, but anyone can do it and I highly recommend it. Not only is it a ton of fun, but it instantly puts you in a better mood and is very effective in helping you create the life of your dreams.

The What If game is simple. Basically, the premise is this: Most of us, when we think of a goal we’d like to accomplish or a dream we’d like to manifest, or even something as simple as going to a cocktail party, we ask ourselves a series of questions that focus on the negative, i.e. “What if my business fails and I go bankrupt?” “What if I never lose this weight and stay like this forever?” “What if I go to this party and no one talks to me?” By asking ourselves questions like this from a standpoint of assuming the worst, we might think we’re preparing ourselves and preventing those things from happening. In actuality, however, we’re just taking ourselves further and further away from our desired scenario!

For example, say you’re at a cocktail party and want to go up to someone, but the only thoughts running through your mind are: “What if I say something stupid and embarrass myself?” or “What if I spill my drink on me?” If this is the case, not only are you going to be much less likely to actually take action and go up to someone new, but if you do go talk to them chances are you’ll be so nervous that you may actually spill your drink on yourself!

So to play the What If game, you begin asking yourself questions from a positive standpoint, i.e. that focus on what you WANT to happen. Using the same example from above, you could interrupt yourself from asking negative questions in your head and instead consciously replace them with questions like, “What if I tell a great joke and everything thinks I’m really funny?” or “What if this person knows someone who can help me find my ideal job/life partner?” Obviously, there’s no guarantee that any of the questions you’re asking will come true, but that’s not the point!

The point is to get your mind moving in a new direction, whereby you’re focusing on things from a more positive standpoint. You want to focus on the best-case scenario coming true rather than assuming the worst. If you read my post on Afformations, then you know the importance of asking your mind questions that focus on what you want to create rather than what you want to avoid. Whenever you ask yourself a question, your mind immediately goes off in search of the answer. By asking a question from the standpoint of what you want to attract, this directs your mind to focus on what you want to create. And we all know that whatever we consistently focus on becomes true in our lives.

Here’s another example: Say I want to manifest my ideal home, but I have no idea how that’s going to happen because I don’t have the money right now. Rather than getting frustrated and automatically giving up on my desire, I can ask myself:

• What if the sellers of my dream home drop the price drastically and I can now afford it?
• What if my dream home goes into foreclosure and I can buy it from the bank for a ridiculously cheap price?
• What if I win the lottery tomorrow and never have to worry about money again?

Get the idea?

Use whatever questions you like, and sometimes the more “out there” they are, the better! The purpose of this game is not to find answers to the questions, but rather to get in a place of thinking about your desires coming true. We get so attached to how our dreams our going to be delivered to us, and oftentimes we prevent things from making their way to us because we think they can only come through one single channel. This game helps you release your attachment to outcomes, and expand the possibilities in your mind of all the different ways your dreams can come true!

If the words “What if” don’t fully resonate with you, you can also use the words “Wouldn’t it be nice if…?” For example, “Wouldn’t it be nice if I win the lottery?” or “Wouldn’t it be nice if I lose ten lbs. overnight?” For even more fun, try playing this out loud with a partner or group of friends!

For additional resources on playing the What If game, check out the What If Up Club website, www.whatifup.com.


  1. I agree Mary, "what if" can help snap people out of the serious and/or doom and gloom state. By focusing on things from a more positive standpoint, everyone can certainly help to put themselves in a better mood and frame of mind.

    For others who are already "open" to the "possibilities and potential of life", I would suggest bumping the "what if" up to "when".

    “What if” is “very powerful” from a mood changing perspective but it can keep you stuck in a daydream and “hope for the best” kind of state.

    “When” adds the “definiteness of purpose" element to the game and gives “power” to your ability to co-create and/or manifest your dreams and thoughts.

    “Wouldn’t it be nice if I lose ten lbs. overnight?” <-- this is “way cool”

    “WHEN" I lose ten lbs. I AM going to look FABULOUS” <-- this is "WAY WAY COOL"

    Loving everything you do here Mary and that is "WAY WAY WAY COOL"!!

    Keep up the good work :)

  2. Mary, kudos for highlighting the importance of focusing on what you DO want, versus what you do not want. Because the truth is, what you focus on expands. Yes, focus on the positive possibilities will get you further in life.

    Personally I would prefer the "what if" statements to be significantly grander. I mean if we are gonna dream...then let's really dream big!!

    How about:
    -What if I really can have anything that I want?
    -What if it were true that I really am good enough, strong enough, worthy enough?
    -What if I were to believe that anything is possible? What then would I do?
    -What if I knew, without a doubt, that if "I take the step, the bridge WOULD be there"?
    -What would happen if I knew how phenomenal I was?
    - What if I was not afraid? What would I do?
    - What if I focused on my potential, rather than my needs?

    You get the picture. Yes, "what if" questions can really open the mind, expand thinking, and allow us to embrace all options.

    Once the mind is open, then...(yes then).. I'm with you John, put some decisiveness into your words. Commit! Then watch the world shift around you!!

    Kudos Mary. Kudos John.

  3. John, WOW!! I've never heard that before (saying "when"), but I feel like you just took this discussion to a whole new level!

    I can definitely see how saying "what if" could keep you in a daydreaming state, whereas saying "when" automatically takes you to the place of already having that which you want. What if could be interpreted as having some doubt inherent in it (i.e., what IF), but saying when definitely expresses certainty and a knowing that what you want will happen.

    Am loving this, John!! You just stretched my brain a little:) Stop by anytime!

  4. Deb, this is brilliant: "I mean if we are gonna dream...then let's really dream big!!" Amen to that!

    You are so right. If we are going to consciously choose our thoughts and what we focus on, then let's do it so that we really
    knock it out of the park! I'm even thinking of writing your questions down on a notecard and repeating them to myself daily (like Afformations).

    I love how both you and John are taking this to a whole new level, and not just wondering about the possibilities but DECLARING the possibilities and making them so. This is really good stuff!

    Thanks for stopping by! Sending lots of love and light your way:)

  5. Mary,

    I found your blog after seeing your recent guest post on the Good Vibe blog.

    Excellent post!

    I actually just found out about afformations yesterday. And I just enjoyed reading your January article on them that is in this post.

    I completely agree that afformations are incredible. I was having a lot of fun practicing yesterday. I noticed that they are a great way to interrupt negative self-talk.

    Here are a few general ones that I have used over the past day:

    Why do I feel so good all day, every day?
    Why am I so abundant?
    Why does everything always work out for me?

    I've found that the process of saying afformations is really fun. I get a kick out of repeating them in my mind.

    Keep up the outstanding work with the blog!

  6. Mary,

    Quick question...

    I'm very new to the law of attraction/personal development blogging community.

    While I know of the Good Vibe blog and yours, I was wondering if you could let me know if there are a couple other blogs in this area that you really like.

    There are TONS out there, but I'm trying to find around 5-10 to consistently follow.

    Any suggestions?


  7. Hi Greg! Thanks so much for stopping by, and for the kind words!

    I totally agree with you, Afformations are SO fun and they really work. I listen to the audios at night as I drift off to sleep, and I can honestly feel a difference in the way my mind works as a result of listening to them.

    I love the ones you've been using! This one especially: Why do I feel so good all day, every day? I might have to steal that one from you:)

    Let me give it a little thought about some good LOA/personal growth blogs to follow. If you know about the Good Vibe blog then you're already off to a great start! I *love* that place. I'll shoot you an email with some recommendations.

    Thanks for your comment!

  8. Hi Mary,

    Excellent, that sounds good. I look forward to hearing which blogs you like to check out. I'm glad I'm off to a good start with your blog and the Good Vibe blog.

    That's my favorite afformation of the three, too. It's very uplifting to say it to yourself. I'm glad you have had such a positive experience with afformations, because they definitely sounded like a great idea when I first heard about them.