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“What If Up” Inspires Positive Action
By Lysa Allman-Baldwin“What if” are two very powerful words says Mindy Audlin, licensed Unity teacher and author of the book What if It All Goes Right? Creating a New World of Peace, Prosperity and Possibility. For Audlin, these words form the basis for an entire way of being.
“As long as you're ‘what if-ing,' why not ‘what if up'?” she asks. To encourage others to focus their energy on what is positive, she founded the What If Up Club. The goal of the group is to help members shift their perspective from feelings of lack and limitation to inspired ideas for their lives that create a new reality and consciousness.
Inspired Action
Recently Audlin presented congregants at Unity Church of the Hills in Austin, Texas, with an unexpected challenge. Ten congregant volunteers were sent on a surprise scavenger hunt to collect food for the homeless. The “catch” was that they couldn't spend any money or ask anyone for money. They were given a list of items, five minutes to formulate a plan, and 75 minutes to act.
“I hear [from] people all the time who [feel] stuck because they tell themselves they don't have enough time or money to do what they really want to do,” says Audlin. “So I thought, ‘What if I gave the group a challenge where they could create tangible, real-world results despite not being able to spend money and only having about an hour to make it happen?'”
The results were tremendous. In 75 minutes, the group collected enough food and products to create 96 individual care packages for the homeless in the Austin area.
The project had a real impact on the volunteers who participated. Susan Arbuckle says, “After we said we would do this adventure, I became incredibly sleepy. So much so that I thought I would fall asleep in my chair. I [suddenly] became very clear about how I get freakishly sleepy when it comes to creating and fulfilling my dreams.” She also experienced a positive shift in consciousness after participating. “This exercise … was about actively trusting the God process and listening for divine ideas. We said ‘yes,' and were given ideas to put into action. [We] didn't have time to get in our own way.”
Kimberly Maeder was also positively affected by the project. “I heard Mindy speak at church and was attracted to her positive energy and vision for creating what you want in your life, through being open to new possibilities.” The most challenging aspect for Maeder was stepping out of her comfort zone to approach strangers for the needed items. Participating gave her a new sense of confidence. “[Since then] I have stepped out more in ways that I feel Spirit is guiding me,” she explains.
Clay Boykin says he is dwelling less on his own struggles since volunteering. At first the project seemed impossible to him, but he notes, “The messages of faith, hope and abundance that I have received from Unity have made a significant impact on my journey. The experience reminded me how, when fear in my life turns to hope, good things happen.”
The What If Up Club
“When we [take our] ‘what ifs' [to a negative place] … we distance ourselves from our God-self that experiences all things as possible,” Audlin says. “The process of ‘what if upping' leaves people feeling inspired, purposeful, giddy and playful. It facilitates deep and lasting personal connections, mutually beneficial collaborations, and it immerses people into a flow of giving and receiving.”
The What If Up Club has chapters at a number of Unity churches and an online community with more than 400 members from 27 countries.
Audlin was very inspired by the Austin volunteer project. “After an experience like that,” she says, “it's hard to ever tell yourself that you don't have the time and money to share your gifts with the world. Transformation happens [when] … people who are stuck are able to see new possibilities for moving forward.”
She continues, “People who are lost find clarity. People who are down find peace with where they are and hope for the future. ‘What If Upping' is simply a tool to help corral our minds back to the realm of faith, hope and love from which all new creation is born.”
“As long as you're ‘what if-ing,' why not ‘what if up'?” she asks. To encourage others to focus their energy on what is positive, she founded the What If Up Club. The goal of the group is to help members shift their perspective from feelings of lack and limitation to inspired ideas for their lives that create a new reality and consciousness.
Inspired Action
Recently Audlin presented congregants at Unity Church of the Hills in Austin, Texas, with an unexpected challenge. Ten congregant volunteers were sent on a surprise scavenger hunt to collect food for the homeless. The “catch” was that they couldn't spend any money or ask anyone for money. They were given a list of items, five minutes to formulate a plan, and 75 minutes to act.
“I hear [from] people all the time who [feel] stuck because they tell themselves they don't have enough time or money to do what they really want to do,” says Audlin. “So I thought, ‘What if I gave the group a challenge where they could create tangible, real-world results despite not being able to spend money and only having about an hour to make it happen?'”
The results were tremendous. In 75 minutes, the group collected enough food and products to create 96 individual care packages for the homeless in the Austin area.
The project had a real impact on the volunteers who participated. Susan Arbuckle says, “After we said we would do this adventure, I became incredibly sleepy. So much so that I thought I would fall asleep in my chair. I [suddenly] became very clear about how I get freakishly sleepy when it comes to creating and fulfilling my dreams.” She also experienced a positive shift in consciousness after participating. “This exercise … was about actively trusting the God process and listening for divine ideas. We said ‘yes,' and were given ideas to put into action. [We] didn't have time to get in our own way.”
Kimberly Maeder was also positively affected by the project. “I heard Mindy speak at church and was attracted to her positive energy and vision for creating what you want in your life, through being open to new possibilities.” The most challenging aspect for Maeder was stepping out of her comfort zone to approach strangers for the needed items. Participating gave her a new sense of confidence. “[Since then] I have stepped out more in ways that I feel Spirit is guiding me,” she explains.
Clay Boykin says he is dwelling less on his own struggles since volunteering. At first the project seemed impossible to him, but he notes, “The messages of faith, hope and abundance that I have received from Unity have made a significant impact on my journey. The experience reminded me how, when fear in my life turns to hope, good things happen.”
The What If Up Club
“When we [take our] ‘what ifs' [to a negative place] … we distance ourselves from our God-self that experiences all things as possible,” Audlin says. “The process of ‘what if upping' leaves people feeling inspired, purposeful, giddy and playful. It facilitates deep and lasting personal connections, mutually beneficial collaborations, and it immerses people into a flow of giving and receiving.”
The What If Up Club has chapters at a number of Unity churches and an online community with more than 400 members from 27 countries.
Audlin was very inspired by the Austin volunteer project. “After an experience like that,” she says, “it's hard to ever tell yourself that you don't have the time and money to share your gifts with the world. Transformation happens [when] … people who are stuck are able to see new possibilities for moving forward.”
She continues, “People who are lost find clarity. People who are down find peace with where they are and hope for the future. ‘What If Upping' is simply a tool to help corral our minds back to the realm of faith, hope and love from which all new creation is born.”
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