Do you know people who aren't afraid to take a chance on their lives? Well, I do. The ones who decide to pursue the life of their dreams without fear.
A friend of mine recently informed me that she was moving to France.
She explained to me that she had had enough of playing small, living a life that felt constricted and not free as a black woman.
Curious, I asked her what freedom felt like.
"It's getting rid of 'if' and 'when' from my life," she replied.
The more we talked about the role of 'if' and 'when' in our lives, the more I understood exactly what she meant.
She was taking a chance on herself, trusting her gut and her life. She was going for joy.
Life is a slow journey forward, often filled with stops and starts, but it can only really start when we get rid of 'if' and 'when.'
We all know 'if' well. It's that thought of "if this works out, I'll do this" or "if that doesn't happen, I can do this." And we are all too familiar with "when." You hear it all the time, "when the stars line up" or "when this or that happens."
I suddenly realized all the times I had used "if" and "when" and lost out on something that could have been the road I should have taken.
How about you? How many times have you 'if' and 'when' yourself out of something that could have been the road you should have taken?
One of the biggest reasons we talk ourselves out of things is because we don’t have the confidence to pursue what could be our greatest good. When we over-analyze by using words like 'if' or 'when', we convince ourselves that we don't deserve our dreams.
But we do deserve our dreams. And we don't have to wait until we're ready. Yes, there is strength in thinking things through and running things by other people, but let's face it - that's another form of 'if' and 'when' procrastination.
Sometimes we have to get out of our way. We may be afraid, but fear is good, and it can lead to our greatest good, if and when we are ready.
Attention Bias
What is attention bias? Attention bias is our tendency to prioritize certain types of stimuli/information over others. At any given moment, an individual's senses can perceive countless stimuli in our immediate surroundings. Threat-related attention bias refers to the tendency to prioritize the processing of threats over benign or neutral stimuli. Is it no wonder we have biases related to race, ethnicity, disability, and more?
Each of us individually generates more information than ever before in human history. We take in almost 90,000 pieces of information daily, yet our brains can only filter in about 10 percent of that information. The rest, well is stored in our subconscious minds and often when we perceive a threat we act upon it.
How do you perceive the world around you and how can you understand your attention bias?
The WEBB Advisory Group Presents
The WEBB Center For Social Impact was developed and designed from more than 50 years of lived experience as a Black Woman in America.
Focusing on domestic policy specifically, our institute provides a global worldview perspective for black and brown women from the diaspora living in America today. Â
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Using research data, lived experiences, and stories of impact, policymakers and leaders can understand the social impacts various policies have on black and brown children and women, today and tomorrow. Â
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In response to various incidents in our country's recent history, history mustn't repeat itself. Therefore, the WEBB Center For Social Impact strives to provide voter information, information on issues for policymakers, information for community activists, and information for anyone who seeks to understand the social impacts of public policy on individuals and communities.
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"Inspired (In Spirit), we live and move and have our being."
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Prayer for the Week
Dear God,
Fear stops us from pursuing your greatest good for us. Help us to overcome, 'if' and 'when" barriers to the journey of joy, love, happiness, and freedom you have planned and purposed for us. Amen.
"Inspiring Humans...Changing Communities."
"And So It Goes..."Â is a weekly blog post. We welcome the voices of all people. Are you interested in writing for us? Let us know.