The other day my client Jessica, an interior designer, called me and said, “Allison, you are going to be so disappointed in me. My largest client called me yesterday and said it was imperative that I call her back immediately. When I could not get in touch with her, I immediately started to worry that something I ordered was incorrect or that she was unhappy with my work or perhaps she was going to fire me.” Jessica paused for a moment and after catching her breath, she continued. “I could not sleep last night and made myself sick with worry of what could possibly be wrong. I finally spoke to my client this morning; she was calling to tell me that she wanted to introduce me to her friend who wants to hire a designer for her new home in Westchester.” After pausing again, Jessica gave a big sigh. “All that worry and emotional pain for nothing,” she said, “and the thought never even occurred to me that Maybe she wanted to give me some good news about a potential job.”
Of course, I was initially very happy for my client that she had a lead for some new work and I congratulated her. After that, I said that I would never be disappointed in someone if they did not use Maybe. Maybe is not about handling something the right way or the wrong way. For me, choosing Maybe as a life philosophy is about living life with less emotional pain and suffering. If a situation in my life looks bad or something unexpected happens, instead of starting to worry or plan for the worst possible outcome, I pause for a moment and enter the realm of Maybe. Maybe is a doorway for me to see that the situation that I am facing may still turn out to have a positive outcome or Maybe there is another way to achieve my goal or Maybe I will find peace with whatever I am experiencing. This way, instead of shutting down with fear and worry, I am able to relax my mind and open up to all that is possible.
We all have many moments like Jessica had yesterday with her client. Give Maybe a try and let me know what happens!!
Link to the Philosophy of Maybe http://allisoncarmen.wordpress.com/2011/10/05/the-philosophy-of-maybe-2/
Link to Maybe Exercise http://allisoncarmen.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/our-fear-of-uncertainty/