On the way home from our short, but fun, getaway to St. Michael’s on the Chesapeake, I listened to a podcast with Michael Strahan as the guest. He talked about how powerful a role model his father was who truly worked his way back from nothing. He lives his life by just a few powerful words his father repeated throughout his lifetime: “Not if but when.”
How would our lives change if we lived by, “Not if but when”? Think about all of our ifs: If I get the job, if I lose the weight, if I save the money, if I land the big account, if I meet that special someone, etc. Within any optimistic “if” sentence, there is implied a much heavier and disheartening “if not” counterpart that can’t be removed; they come part and parcel.
But if we chose to use “when,” not “if,” there is no alternative. From a mindset perspective, saying “when” tells our subconscious that this thing we want IS coming! “If” is a conjunction which allows the other shoe to drop, but “when” is an adverb awaiting the action step of the verb. “If” surrenders all control and relies on hope, but “when” tells the universe, “Get out of the way! I’m making this happen.” It’s our choice—choose wisely!

“Not if but when. The secret to success lies not in luck but in the things you do every day.” Michael Strahan

With Gratitude,

Beth