You know in my experience in baseball, as quickly as possible you’ve got to move past the "what if's" and focus on the "what now?" Because here we are in a new ball game with another opportunity to win. So, to me the question isn't "what if" but what do we do now?”
– Bob Brenly, Chicago Cubs Sports Broadcaster

I know this will come as a shock, but . . . I was watching the Cubs game on Sunday. The announcer said something that I thought was pretty profound (and I don't usually think of "sports announcers" and "profound thoughts" in the same sentence). Bob (one of our announcers (and who was also a former player and manager)) was talking about how some people were upset that the Cubs lost on Saturday (in the 9th inning). Some fans were rumbling and grumbling over the "What if's." What if we had won? What if Wood (our relief pitcher) hadn't blown the save?

Bob said, "You know in my experience in baseball, as quickly as possible you've got to move past the 'what if's' and focus on the 'what now?' Because here we are in a new ball game with another opportunity to win. So, to me the question isn't 'what if' but what do we do now?" Brilliant!

When we experience a loss or a setback or an obstacle, we need to assess and reflect on the situation long enough to understand why it happened and what we might have been able to do differently (in other words, to learn from it) and then we need to focus on what's next. We have probably all known people in our lives who can't let go of yesterday’s defeat – even when yesterday's defeat happened 10 years ago. Meanwhile, they continue to miss current opportunities because they are focused on something that they can no longer change or affect.

My mother was a master at ruminating on stuff that had long since passed. I watched her do this and I tried so hard to help her with it as I could see that it was making her so unhappy. In my early twenties, I realized that I had this tendency as well. I tried many things to help me break the habit. Most failed. What worked for me was (is) when I caught myself ruminating on something, I would ask myself: "What about this situation can I change or affect?" If the answer was nothing, then I would ask myself, "Is there anything new I can learn from it?" If that answer was no, then I knew I was wasting my time (which I can't stand) and I had to move on. Of course, if the answer (to either question) was yes, then I would explore what I would do next.

If you find yourself stuck on a past issue, ask yourself: What feeling is trapped inside? What can I change or affect about this situation? Is there anything new to learn from it?

To Your Success,

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