When we think about something that’s going to happen in the future, our mind is very skilled at turning our thoughts about a future version of events into a story about what might happen if we fail, if we try something new, or if we’re criticized.

And we know that our mind uses this story-telling ability as a defense mechanism because these kinds of stories that we tell ourselves about how a future event might turn out help keep us safe and prevent us from taking risks.

In this episode, I’ll introduce you to a question you can ask that will help you start to move away from telling yourself a negative story toward envisioning a future version of events that exceeds your expectations: What if it turns out better than I think?