Some days, the Thought of the Day and Question of the Day feel like they were meant to be together. Today is one of those days. We’ve got William Butler Yeats telling us to stop waiting for the perfect moment and start making it perfect, and then we’ve got a question that flips our fear on its head: What excites you about the worst case scenario? Let’s get into it.
Thought of the Day: Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking. — William Butler Yeats
Yeats was not a blacksmith, but he understood momentum. Too many of us waste time circling the forge, waiting for the temperature to be “just right.” We tell ourselves we’re “preparing” when really, we’re just nervous about swinging the hammer.
Here’s the thing: sometimes you don’t have the luxury of a perfectly heated iron. Sometimes the heat comes from you doing the work, the energy, the action, the stubborn refusal to wait for permission.
The best things in my life didn’t happen because I sat still until conditions were ideal. They happened because I moved forward when it was awkward, messy, or too soon. Like writing that post about fear and laziness or the one on why overthinking is just fear in a nice outfit. If you keep waiting for the “right” time, you might never even pick up the hammer.
Question of the Day: What excites you about the worst case scenario?
I love this question because it forces you to look fear in the eye and ask, “Okay, but what’s in it for me?” Worst case scenarios have a bad reputation — they’re seen as disaster zones, emotional sinkholes, or the thing that will finally prove your third-grade teacher right about you.
But they also come with some weird perks. When you hit rock bottom, there’s nowhere to go but up. When your plan A implodes, you get to create plan B without the pressure of maintaining perfection. And sometimes, the worst case scenario is actually liberating, like when you’ve already embarrassed yourself so badly in a meeting that nothing you say afterward can make it worse.
So, what excites me about the worst case scenario? The clean slate. The unexpected opportunities. The fact that I’ve already survived every “worst case” so far, and I’m still here to talk about it.
Your turn: What’s the heat you need to make right now? And what’s the silver lining you’d find if everything fell apart? Drop your thoughts in the comments, or join my free daily email to get the Thought of the Day and Question of the Day delivered straight to you. Sign up here.