Martina has clearly done her own required emotional homework and this qualifies her to write this book from an authoritative, mature, and compassionate perspective. As an added bonus, she is a trained and qualified counselor, healer, and teacher.
And oh yes, there is one more thing. Martina is not afraid to say it like it is. She is not afraid to tell the truth, even if it means you might be disappointed or it might contradict something you hope is true or not true. This is always the sign of someone you can trust, someone who is clear and loving enough to skip the ingratiation and whitewash and instead, educate you. Enjoy.
José Luis Stevens, PhD, co-founder of the Power Path School of Shamanism and author of Awaken the Inner Shaman, The Power Path, Secrets of Shamanism, and Transforming your Dragons.
PREFACE
Why “What if..?”
This chapter could also be titled: “Why does what you say matter?” The easy answer is: choice.
Once I completed the preliminary manuscript, I beta-tested the book on a small group of readers with a cross-section of professions, age, and gender. One result of that exercise was this chapter on why this book is so important, and how this concept created change in my own life.
To begin with, this is a book about empowerment, choice, and change. It’s an introduction to using manifesting as a tool to become the conductor of your own life as well as the importance of recognizing the sheer power of possibility.
Even without employing the more metaphysical idea of “manifesting,” this is a book about choice and change.
How do you choose to live?
How are you choosing to show up in your own life? In others’ lives?
What do you choose to do on a daily basis to support your dreams and goals?
How conscious are you of the choices you make?
Life is about choice.
Now let’s go back to the conductor metaphor. Let’s say you have an orchestra at your disposal. Perhaps it’s a string quartet, or maybe it’s the New York Philharmonic. Either way, it’s yours. We all have one. Some orchestras are well-tuned while others are just getting started.
What would happen if we threw a bunch of musicians together, with no sheet music, and asked them to play together? My guess is there might be some dissonance. There might even be a few musicians who walk out. There might also be some beautiful music, but we’re leaving a lot up to chance in that scenario.
Now, what if we were able to hand everybody the same sheet music and invite them to play together? What kind of music would we create then? We have the option of using existing compositions or creating our own. The sky is the limit actually, and the choice is ours.
As the conductor of our own life, it falls upon us to create the music we want to hear and live with on a daily basis. It becomes a question of choice.
The quality of our life is based on the choices we make.
We all have choice. We get to choose how we want to show up for ourselves and others every day. Beyond that, we get to partner with the Universe to expand on the possibilities for our lives. That is what this book is about: empowerment and change through choice.
Now, why should you read it? Or, why should you trust me when I tell you this is powerful? Because I’ve experienced it firsthand, both personally and professionally.
For years I have worked to explore, understand, and experience various modalities of spirituality and wellness. I started my own journey more than a decade ago, and I slowly built up my own personal and professional toolboxes. The tools I use represent a cross-section of the wellness industry, and I work to synthesize them all into manageable and accessible nuggets of information for my clients and readers. In fact, my first coaching business was called Synthesis Life Coaching for that very reason.
Learning something new is always exciting and full of hope. It can also be challenging. My goal in sharing what I’ve learned and used is to help make that process easier and more accessible. This book is one such example.
I invite you to try it out for yourself. In the pages that follow you’ll learn how to explore your own inner workings, beliefs, and values and how you can create meaningful change in your life in a way that is in alignment with your core values and your soul’s purpose. This book can serve as a guide. I’ve detailed myriad ways in which you can use this book for your benefit. The only limit is the one you create.
I am happy and grateful this book is in your hands and that we get to spend this time together. Now, let’s get to work creating something magical!
INTRODUCTION
What and If?
What if..?
“What if..?” is a simple little phrase that belies its greatness. It is an incredibly powerful tool that can be used to manifest the greatest joys or undermine even the most assured confidence. It all depends on how you use it.
Two benign words in their own right. Six small letters. Harmless apart, but when combined, “what” and “if” can be equally creative and destructive.
Let me explain:
“What if..?” makes the entirety of the Universe possible by accessing the most creative and infinite power of all: imagination. As a tool for exploration and innovation, these two little words open up endless possibilities. Dreams become realities.
However, “What if..?”, when used in fear or hindsight, becomes a potential harbinger of shame, blame, and despair: The “shoulda-coulda-woulda” of that which was not done or seen. It exposes its user to the insecurities harbored in the mind.
In the Universe, there is a unity and duality to everything. They are not mutually exclusive. You, yourself, are whole, and you are also comprised of both the light and the dark — yin and yang. In other words: unity and duality. Similarly, there is a duality to the phrase “What if..?”.
It may help to think of it this way: a star is simultaneously expanding and contracting. For us, the sun is a life force giving us light and warmth, helping things grow and live. And yet, it is also contracting and will eventually implode and die. As with all things, it is both living and dying. It is expanding and contracting. It contains a duality in its unity.
This phrase is the same. It is both creative and destructive. It is a singular phrase with an inherent duality.
Six letters, two words, powerful beyond measure… and what separates how they are used is you.
How it All Began
This book started as a nagging idea while I was finishing up my graduate degree in social work. As I worked with clients, I knew that I wanted to blend my certifications in Coaching and Reiki with my degree as a psychotherapist. On the one hand, I wanted to help them explore everything that’s possible — their dreams, their desires,
