What If?

“Imagine no possessions. I wonder if you can. No need for greed or hunger; a brotherhood of man. Imagine all the people sharing all the world. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will live as one.”

            John Lennon’s “Imagine” lyrics became an instant classic after the Beatles singer released the song in the early ‘70’s. The song still lives on today, but perhaps it is not because of Lennon’s distinct voice or the swelling piano chords in the background. The song lives on to today because of the question it asks: what would you do if everything was perfect? What would you do if the world turned round and round and you had nothing to ever worry about?

            This song lives on because we as humans like to think that way. We like to imagine that everything is perfect and that there is nothing to worry about in this world. We as humans like to create fictional worlds for ourselves inside our heads where there are no worries or wrongs. For centuries and centuries, the human race has been searching for a utopian world. We long to see a perfect day, so we continue to imagine one. However, instead of asking ourselves “what would I do if everything was perfect?” we ought to be asking ourselves “what would I do if everything in my life broke into pieces?”

"What if you should decide that you don't want me there by
your side? That you don't want me there in your life?"
--Coldplay

            Think about it. What would you do if someone you love left you? What if you lost your job? What if all the possessions that you hold dear were taken from you? What if there was no hope left for you? Would you be able to stay strong and keep trying? Or would you let your life break you?

            The classic example of this phenomenon is Job. Everything in Job’s life fell apart. He lost everything: his family, his possessions, his health, his wealth. However, unlike most of us could, Job stayed strong. He kept on trying his best and doing what he knew to be right, regardless of his circumstances. As a result of staying strong, Job’s life ended up even better than it had been before.

            If you lost everything, would you stay strong? If your house burned down, would you continue to attend church? If you lost your family, would you continue to read your scriptures? If the person that you love left you, would you continue to pray always? These are the kind of questions we should be asking ourselves. This is the quest of life: to conquer ourselves, regardless of our circumstances. Don’t blame others or blame God when things go wrong. It may not be your fault, but placing blame won’t change anything. You have to be strong, keep pushing forward, and keep on doing what you know to be true. Only then will your circumstances become better as a result of your efforts.

            Darkness always turns into light, but only if you let the light in to conquer the darkness. Giving up will do you nothing. You can’t know that things will change unless you try to change them. This life is a gamble. Every decision that you make could be your biggest mistake. Everything that you do involves risk, but only through risk can things become better. That’s why we live life. You have to take that risk in order for your life to be what you want it to be.

            Decide now that when everything goes wrong, you will stay strong. Decide that you will let your trials grow you. If you don’t make your life better, it will only become worse. That’s how it is for the human race. We must fight; we must conquer. We must be; we must live. We must try; we must do. Sometimes you have to be pushed down in order to move upwards.