You Flipped the Script?
Why your 'What ifs' matter more than you think - and how to use them to grow

Today’s blog isn't about where we are. It’s about where you could go… if you just changed two little words:

What if?

These two words have built our whole business. They’ve helped us support nervous performers, children struggling to re-engage with school, anxious adults, even each other.

But here’s the thing:

The magic isn’t just in asking "What if?"
It’s in how you finish the sentence.

Sound familiar?

“What if I mess it up?”

“What if they laugh at me?”

“What if I’m not good enough?”

“What if I fall?”

It’s so easy to go there, isn’t it? Straight to the worry, the worst-case scenario, the “I’ll just stay safe over here instead.”

And we get it. We do it too.

But here’s what we’ve learnt - and what we help others do every day...

You can flip the fear.

Turn “What if I fall?” into:
“But what if I fly?” (Thanks, Erin Hanson )

It’s not just fluffy positivity. It’s neuroscience. The same chemical reaction that happens when you’re nervous is the one that happens when you’re excited. So what if - bear with us - you told your brain:

“I’m not scared. I’m excited.”

(Sneaky. But it works.)

Try These “What if” Flips in Real Life

Here’s how we do it with our students—and how you can too:

Distract then circle back.

When someone’s stuck in “What if it all goes wrong?”, we gently shift their focus.

"What if we try this other way instead?”

Sometimes we don’t even go back to the scary thing - they’ve already reached the goal by a different route. It might take longer, but the look on their face when they get there? Worth it.

Let them choose the path.

If we tell someone how to try, it doesn’t work. But if we hand them tools and let them choose?

Suddenly, it’s not “What if I fail?”
It’s “What if this works for me?”

Change the language.

Words matter. Try replacing:

“What if I fail?” → “What if I just try?”

“What if they judge me?” → “What if I just explore what happens?”

“What if I say no?” → “What if I feel better because I did?”

Words like try, play, explore, experiment, let's see remove the fear of failure. There’s no pressure for a perfect outcome - just permission to give it a go.

It’s not always about doing more.

Sometimes it’s:

“What if I walk away?”

“What if I stop trying to force it?”

“What if I give myself a break?”

Not all growth is loud. Sometimes the bravest ‘What if’ is the one that gives you peace.

So What If… You Gave It a Go?

Your “What ifs” are steering the ship. Are they pointing toward fear? Or possibility?

What if today, you:

Flipped a fearful thought?

Tried something tiny?

Let yourself just try, without needing to get it right?

We’re not saying it’s easy. But we are saying you’re not alone in trying.

BHVA was built on a “What if...”
What’s yours?