why they found themselves where they were when they came to me.
“What if..?” was a question that could be used in both instances, and I heard myself doing just that.
“What if you hadn’t..?”
“What if you could..?”
“What if you weren’t/didn’t or were/did..?”
As I continued using it more deliberately in client sessions, I started to really understand the power behind these two little words.
Fast-forward many months and “What if..?” started to play a bigger role in my own life — as if this book was trying to write itself (which it sort of did). Time and time again the phrase popped into my head or was somewhere in my environment. It took one last nudge for me to sit down and start typing.
I’ll always be grateful to José Stevens for that last little push to put words to paper. José is a gifted advisor and teacher, having created The Power Path School of Shamanism from years of study and experience. During our last phone conversation, José said to me:
“I want you to try something. I want you to say ‘What if..’ and then add whatever it is you can think of, beyond what you even desire.”
You know when you hear something over and over again, and although you’re hearing it you’re not actually hearing it? Then one day someone or something comes along and says it again and it’s like — Boom! — there it is in the forefront of your being?
This was it! Someone had asked me to use the tool myself. Not only was it a meaningful exercise for me, but it was the last little push I needed to finally write this book and share this powerful tool with others.
I like to think that this book was marinating somewhere until it was ready (or I was ready) to get cooking. The result is something delicious: a thought-provoking exercise in imagination and manifestation. A journey into possibility. I hope it proves equally as exciting for you as it was for me once I started employing the actual power of the phrase.
And it all begins with two little words:
What if..?
CHAPTER 1
How to Use This Book
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
— Arthur Ashe —
We read most things cover to cover. It’s how we were taught to experience a book. Indeed, most books are written in a progressive narrative, building on the pages that came before. This is not such a book. Not entirely.
This is a book that is meant to be used.
What do I mean by that?
Once you’ve read the opening chapters (1–5) explaining the concept, the rest of the book is at your disposal to read as you are inspired. That means you can pick it up at any point after chapter 5 based on your current situation and needs. Or you can allow the Universe to guide you to what would be most beneficial. I’ve done that with many a book and have always gotten what I need when I have trusted enough to let go and allow myself to be guided.
How did I do that?
Well, what if you sat down, put the book spine down on your lap, closed your eyes, and let it fall open to a random page? What if you allowed yourself to trust in that process, and you opened your eyes to read whatever words you saw without actively searching for them? Then, what if it was exactly what you needed to hear?
Whether you’re holding this book in your lap, or scrolling through on an e-reader, what if you sat quietly, moved your finger through the pages, and stopped when it felt right? That’s how I advise you to use this book. Use it, don’t “read” it.
Of course, you can read it straight through if you want, or chapter by chapter based on what you need. Both ways are equally effective and important. In fact, you can do it one way, and then go back and do it the other. As with all things in life, the power of choice is yours. Just as it is with how you formulate your phrases around the concept of What if..?.
You get to choose.
The one caveat, as I’ve already mentioned, is that it is a good idea to read the opening chapters to get a greater understanding of the concept before jumping into using the book in the way that best suits your needs.
After completing the opening chapters (1–5), you’ll find each subsequent chapter contains the same approach to a different topic. They each start with a series of questions to get you thinking and connected to the topic at hand. From there I employ exercises and share ideas and information to help you expand your process. Finally, they each end with a summary to help solidify the ideas you’ve just explored. Some chapters are longer than others. Some may be of interest to you while others may not. That’s ok. The overview and material presented initially may not seem very deep, but the work you are invited to do can be profound. Again, it’s all in how you choose to use it.
So let’s get started.
CHAPTER 2
The Power of Possibility
“It is better to believe than to disbelieve; in doing you bring everything to the realm of possibility.”
— Albert Einstein —
What is The Power of Possibility, and what does all this mean?
We’re going to get a little science-y now. Everything — everything — carries potential within it. Everything is comprised of energy. We’re all little balls of energy wandering around a rock made up of energy, floating in a Universe comprised of energy.
Well, that’s a REALLY simple way to look at it, but it works. As I started to go further into the details of energy and matter, I realized the importance of simplifying things in order to understand the concept of the Power of Possibility and its role in manifesting. Here are some basics that I have distilled from my readings:
Everything has energy. Energy can’t be created or destroyed; it can only be transferred. There are different types of energy, specifically potential energy and kinetic energy. Typically, everything has potential energy until that something is put into use or activated, and then it becomes kinetic energy. Once it’s dormant again, it reverts to potential energy. Nothing is lost or gained; it is merely transformed temporarily.
So, in many ways, energy is in everything and everything uses energy. But energy itself is not a tangible “thing.” Therefore, energy is pure potential. It’s the essence of possibility and creation. And, since we are energy, we also carry the essence of possibility and creation within us. Cool, huh?
That gives us a good place to start. But what does it really mean?
It means that with few exceptions, mostly biological, if you can think of it you can probably do it. Which also means that if you can focus your attention (energy) on something, you are activating it and giving it
