The power of “could”

If ever you find yourself stuck in a “should,” consider inviting in the power of a “could.”

A “should” often travels with:

• Either/or thinking that constrains your available options;
• An underlying belief that there’s a “right” and a “wrong” approach;
• A sense of obligation or guilt.

Switching the “should” of your question to “could” can expand your view of the given situation.

Ways to leverage a “could”:

• Generate a third option (and a fourth, fifth, sixth option) to allow your brain to ease into a more expansive view of your many choices.
• Switch the question you are asking to one that positions you for more play and ease (𝘦.𝘨., 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘺? 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺?).
• Acknowledge where you feel pressure by speaking it out loud and taking a big, deep breath afterwards to let each sentence land. Give yourself permission to choose something other than the original option. Here’s how that could sound:

“𝘙𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘐 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 (𝘥𝘰 𝘟𝘠𝘡), 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵.” <𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘨, 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩.>
𝘐 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦.” <𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘪𝘨, 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩.>
“𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 (𝘥𝘰 𝘟𝘠𝘡), 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 (𝘥𝘰 𝘈𝘉𝘊) 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥.” <𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘪𝘨, 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩.>

“Could” is an opening to choice. Choice is an opening to possibility. Possibility is an opening to what you really, really want.

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