Whenever I’m feeling in touch with my daydreamer side, I drink my morning coffee from a very special mug–my ‘what if’ mug. It’s not a special color or made from special material, but it is special. With each sip, my morning coffee allows my mind to relax and wander. My hands grasp my warm mug, and my fingers slowly and gently trace the fragile words ‘what if’. This mug allows me to sip in my dreams and warm up to my possibilities. This mug allows my mind to wander into the unknown, without hearing the rebuttals or excuses. Each and every morning I use this mug, I sip in my dreams until my coffee cup is left stained with morning, old coffee. My dreams left until tomorrow’s brew. 

The marks that stain my mug, the choices that stain my life. The fragile, but the strong question of ‘what if’. What if I traveled the world? What if I got a new haircut? What if my life took a complete 180? What if… What if… What if…

At a younger age, I used to dance with the question of ‘what if’. What if I became a Disney princess? What if my secret admirer asked me to the movies? What if I got into my dream school?

Yet for the past five years, I have found myself paralyzed by that exact same question.

Stuck and stagnant.

The ‘what if’ brings the unknown. The ‘what if’ is something out of my control. The ‘what if’ brings uncertainty. The ‘what if’ brings me…fear.

Until one day when a good mentor and even better friend of mine poured me a fresh cup of coffee in a new ‘what if’ mug. He told me, ‘kid, chase your ‘what if’. What’s holding you back?’

What was holding me back?

The fear held me paralyzed; the stains procrastinating to my tomorrow. I was paralyzing myself and taking advantage of my tomorrow. That sip was the first of many. Each sip after reminds me of the very first. A reminder of that simple, yet meaningful advice–that unforgettable sip.

From each sip forward, mentor, I will chase my ‘what if’. Because of you, I will no longer be paralyzed, but rather dance in my ‘what if’. I will breathe in the aromas of uncertainty and smile at each stain, reminding me of each mark of my past.

For those of you stuck, stagnant in the stains of ‘what if’, I challenge you to pour another cup of coffee. I urge you to sip into your dreams and let yourself dance towards your possibilities. Trace that ‘what if’ gently. Inhale the cozy warm smell of your fresh beginning, your new opportunities; and smile, as you allow yourself to become comfortable with your ‘what if’.

Be a wanderer. Be a daydreamer.  

Chase those dreams.

Cheers to the ‘what-if’.