Why is it that I always seem to find random things to think about in the shower? It never fails that good ideas – story, blog, or otherwise always come to me in the shower. I’ve heard water is very helpful in generating creative thoughts. I’m starting to believe it’s quite true.

Tonight’s ponderings was on life. I was thinking to myself about a commitment I made to myself a few years ago. It’s one that has greatly affected the way I live my life – for the better.

What was this commitment? It was a simple one – I told myself that I would try my best to avoid “What if?” situations. I don’t want to look back in five years and wonder “What if?” on a chance I didn’t take.

Basically, this means that when faced with a choice, I consider the fall out of both sides. Which one will leave me wondering “What if?” I had done that. One simple example I can think of off the top of my head is my meetup groups (which I’ve talked about before). In the beginning, I was scared to put myself in a new situation, but eventually went ahead with it. I no longer have to wonder “what if” I tried that.

Another example would be online dating – yes, I’ve tried it. I debated this one for quite a while. In fact, I can remember creating a profile and five minutes later deleting the profile before anyone even had a chance to look at it. Eventually, I went with the “what do you have to lose” method and gave it a try. I didn’t meet the man of my dreams on there, but I did have some fun meeting new people and even dated from the site. I learned a lot about myself and my dating preferences through this experience. And the best part? I will never have to look back and wonder “What if I had tried online dating?” It’s simply another experience that has shaped who I am today and who I’m going to become.

In a nutshell, I would rather take a chance now and things go wrong than look down the road later and wonder “What if I had tried that?”

So, I’ve shared mine. What’s your commitment to yourself?