Battling That "What If..."

Real quick- another good blog. Found it on Twitter. This lady has been through a traumatic head injury and she is inspiring! It's called Jamie Hilton: Miracles... Believe in Them.

Sometimes I get caught up in the thinking of "What if...?"
What if I fall off the deck and break my leg?
What if I have one of those dreams where I go to school in my underwear but it's not a dream?
What if I get in a car crash?
What if I wasn't as close to my family?
What if I never had cancer?
What if I am not healed?

Buddha said, "It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles..." and I agree with that. I think the hardest battles we will face are in our minds. And "What if" is one of them. It's really kinda scary being caught up in all that. Not only because it lets your imagination run free, either for the good or the bad, but it can also really hurt you. We've all heard that if a cancer patient thinks he/she will be healed, then he/she probably will be! Positive attitude, folks! (link to a previous post about positive attitude)

I don't mean that you shouldn't imagine, for example, being a millionaire or being famous in the future. Those are dreams and hopes. What I am saying is don't hurt yourself by thinking what would happen if some event did/didn't happen or things played out differently, especially when adversity or trials come or tragedy strikes.

When bad things happen, replace "What if" with "Now that this happened, I'm going to..."

For example: Instead of me thinking "What if I never had cancer? Where would I be?" I think "Okay. I have cancer. But how can I overcome it, how will it bless me, and how can it bless others?"

Well, I'll tell you. Since I have had cancer, I have realized who my true friends are. I have learned how much I can go through and that I can do hard things. I have become closer to my family. My life is more precious to me. One of the most important to me: I have strengthened my testimony and come closer to my Savior as I prepare to one day meet Him again.

Probably the most important thing to remember about the "What if" situation. It is found in Matthew 19:26-- "...with God all things are possible." I have been told by the doctors that with my fibula removed, I might not be able to run a marathon, maybe not even a half marathon. But instead of thinking, "What if they're right? What if I really can't run that?" I think "If I try my hardest and have faith in God and that He will help me, I can do it." And I know I can!

Until next time, keep running!

(If you haven't caught on, the reason that the background for this site is runners is because running is something I really love, and always have loved it. I ran a half marathon last September (more on that later) and ran cross country in high school. Running again is probably one of my biggest goals.)