Smart Women are Possibility Thinkers

by Joy Chudacoff

One morning not long ago, I was driving to the Inn at Playa del Rey for one of my Women’s Success Circles. It was a beautiful day in Pacific Palisades---blue skies, sun shining—glorious. What a great day this was going to be! My mind turned to possibilities for the day. As I made my way down to the beach and through Santa Monica, the weather began to change. It became quite foggy. I could barely see the car in front of me. I had to turn my headlights on. I noticed that my thinking had shifted a bit. Some of the possibility thinking had diminished. The “possibilities for the day” began to fade. Why? What had changed?

Two things: The climate and my attitude. It occurred to me that the outcome of my day, and really on a larger scale my life, is directly related to my environment and my own attitude. When I was a young girl, my grandfather, “Pop” as we used to call him, would say, “No matter where you go, there you are.” I was reminded of this as I began to navigate the foggy streets to arrive at my Women’s Success Circle. In essence, you are in charge of how your day, and how your life will unfold. This can be good news for some and bad news for others. If you are a positive woman who always sees the glass is half full, you are smiling and nodding right now. If you are a woman who finds herself sometimes seeing the glass as half-empty and unable to find the “possibilities for the day,” you may not agree just yet.

It can be unsettling to think that we truly are in charge of how our day or life unfolds. Your attitude can determine the outcome in many life situations. Are some situations out of our control? You bet! For example, some health issues can be out of our control. However, I can tell you from personal experience that one’s attitude toward health is key. My husband, Greg, had both of his kidneys removed 10 years ago and it came with many complications. There were weeks and months of challenges, pain, and many moments of uncertainty. All the while, he kept his positive attitude about the outcome. And I was determined to stay in “possibility thinking”; to keep strategizing on what could be done to improve the situation. The key was to stay positive and in “possibility thinking”. Greg would say that thoughts determined outcome, and would work hard to visualize a positive result. Sure enough, almost one year later, he had a successful transplant.

How about you? Are you excited about the possibilities for your day? Do you visualize a positive outcome? As I entered the parking lot at the Inn at Playa del Rey, I began to smile. The fog had lifted slightly and the sun was trying to peek through. The “possibilities for the day” returned. I was greeted warmly by the team of women who work at the Inn, and the Circle was a complete success, filled with reflections and plans for the future. We spent the morning focused on where we are right now, and looked at what “possibilities” are available to us as we move forward creating a life filled with passion, purpose, and meaning.

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.