Stress comes from many places but the origin of stress I want to discuss now is inspired by the Langston Hughes poem, Dream Deferred. In this classic word art he asks, “What happens to a dream deferred?” He goes on to answer in his creatively masterful way.
One response, “Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?”, inspired another classic, a play by Loraine Hansberry, A Raisin in The Sun.
We often put our dreams on ice because we over-analyze the potential for our dreams to fail. This creates stress because one is seeing better for themselves while simultaneously seeing the better as impossible. That’s extremely stress-inducing.
I believe hypothetical or imagined defeat can be just as, if not more triggering, than actual defeat. When we are afraid of the outcomes, we tend to ask ourselves questions like:
We often put our dreams on ice because we over-analyze the potential for our dreams to fail.
What if I can’t?
What if I can?
What if I’m wrong?
What if I’m right?
What if it doesn’t work out?
What if it does?
What if they don’t love me?
What if they do?
What if I fail?
What if I fly?
There’s a saying…”If there was a fifth, we’d all be drunk”. In other words, how many ‘if’ questions must one ask before they’re officially overthinking? Whether you’re in situations based on your personal comfort level or not, do yourself a solid and entertain the scenarios where you come out on top. What if you do? What if you win? What if you thrive?
What if… ?
If you’re looking for help adjusting your mindset to more affirmative “ifs”, please contact us at tanyikamoorehealingarts.com for assistance, counseling, or a referral.
By: Tanyika “Tann” Moore, LMFT
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