What’s The Worst That Can Happen?

A TV advert that stayed with me was a ‘Dr Pepper’ one that showed embarrassing moments and asked the question, ‘what is the worst that can happen?’ The whole idea is that having a drink will make that moment all better. I’m not so sure about that message.

I love the advert because it helps you consider the thoughts that could hold you back and encourages you to go for it because you will survive the worst thing that you imagined.

We all have things that hold us back. This could be a self-confidence issue, fear of acceptance, fear of criticism and fear of failure or being wrong.

Many times when I am faced with decisions, I ask myself, ‘what’s the worst that can happen?’ This is not being negative, it’s part of preparation, because it helps you consider mitigating actions to manage any risks. It also encourages you to imagine your worst fears and nudges you towards the conclusion that you will survive even if that were to happen.

So here are some of my thoughts about how we can apply the lessons:

Dr Pepper your criticisms

No one likes to be criticised and that’s why even productive things like good feedback can still be challenging to receive for many. Because of fear of being criticised, some people don’t go after their dreams or don’t make the changes they need. They are worried about what might be said about them.

The only way to avoid criticism is to never have been born because even dead people are criticised. I love the quote by Aristotle that says, “There’s only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.”

That’s a huge price to pay so I suggest you ‘Dr Pepper’ any future criticisms by just going after the things you need to do.

Dr Pepper your confidence

One of the top fears of people is the fear of public speaking and this is because we don’t want to be embarrassed. Have you seen a young child dance as soon as music comes on, or cry in the supermarket, or demand for attention during a solemn moment.

A child has very little to no inhibitions. They know what they want in that moment and demand it sometimes to the frustration of the parent.

That’s why I love a phrase that I came across which says, ‘Whatever you must do today.. Do it with the confidence of a 4-year old in a Batman cape’.

That four year old is unstoppable and nothing you say about his cape or mission matters whatsoever. He’s ready to fly or fall so he takes action. We can learn from that. As adults, we weigh the risks better but we mustn’t let fear or lack of confidence stop us.

Dr Pepper your outcomes

Many times we refuse to take risks because we are afraid the outcomes may not be good enough.

As a content creator, this is something that’s real to me. Content creators wonder if people would like what they’ve created, so some refuse to release their work into the public space.

That’s why some people die leaving manuscripts or unshared creative works behind.

Joseph Chilton Pearce says it like this, “To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.”

For me this simply means, Dr Pepper your results. So what if people don’t like what you created? Some will and others won’t and that’s no different for anything else that you’ve created so far.

As we start a new week, pay attention to those pesky warning signs that highlight when you are getting in your own way.

Thanks for reading and sharing my post with others. Have a fantastic week.