Chip Gaines has a message for fans as he walks through a big season of change with two of his five kids in college and wife Joanna taking on another solo show.
The former HGTV star wants to flip the question “what’s the worst that could happen?” on its head and ask instead, “what’s the best that could happen?”
In a new article in the latest edition of Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Journal, Chip writes, “I get that it’s second nature to worry first, trust second. And sadly, for a lot of folks, the worry can be so heavy, so mind-bending, that they never even make it to peace.”
In fact, Chip reveals that worry is something wife Joanna struggles with, writing, “If you’re anything like Jo, you’ll run through every worst-case scenario when it comes to your kids or work. She says it gives her a sense of safety and control to confront all the potential bad stuff first.”
But Chip suggests there’s a better way. He writes, “What I want to know is, when did we all get so scared of believing the best? And what if this currency of caution that we’re offering each other, even the most well-meaning, is just deepening the ruts of our worry-prone hearts? What if self-confidence and bravery weren’t reserved only for those best at extinguishing fear and managing risk, but also for those willing to believe? In themselves, in each other, in opportunity. In a God whose goodness never fails and who’s there to catch us whether we soar or whether we flop. “
Chip Gaines Says He’s ‘Never Regretted Betting on Goodness’
Chip Gaines admits that some of his big risks have resulted in big failures, writing, “Not all of my big, brave swings have landed me on my feet. In fact, a few of them have landed me in some pretty hot water.”
But, he says, it’s been worth it.
“I’ve never regretted betting on goodness, on happiness, on chasing potential and seeing what we’re made of. “
In the past, the “Fixer Upper” star has admitted that life has turned out a lot differently than he expected, but that’s OK.
In an interview with Parade, Chip said, “As I think about Jo and this incredible opportunity that God has blessed us with, I mean — it’s just like, I thought I was going to be a superstar. But it turned out the universe had a totally different idea in mind. And she has become just this incredible leader,” he says. “I’m so proud of her … We’ve definitely evolved in our older age in almost a sarcastic way. Like, I’ve become a little more bashful, I’m a tad insecure, dare I say. And Jo has become this force to be reckoned with.”
Chip goes on to say, “She’s done a couple of cooking shows without me. She’s done a show called ‘Mini Reni’ without me. And it’s just like I’ve launched this superstar into the universe and I could not be more proud.”
In his article in Magnolia, he talks about all those changes. He writes, “To a lot of people, I bet the past 20 years of my and Jo’s life look a bit like a roller coaster, which isn’t far from the truth. We’ve built, we’ve risked,w e’ve won, we’ve lost. We’ve learned plenty. But only in life’s rearview mirror can we see that the real miracle is that we believed in any of it to begin with—and that we kept believing.”
Chip Gaines Asks Fans to Try Something New
Chip Gaines’ bottom line for fans is a suggestion that they embrace a new way of thinking.
He writes, “I read somewhere that worry is belief gone wrong because you don’t believe that God will get it right, while peace is belief that exhales. I haven’t been able to get that visual out of my head.”
Chip challenges readers, writing, “So, I want to try something. I want to see what happens if we flip a few of these “-isms” and platitudes that are inherently rooted in the negative, in fear and worry, and we turn them around. Here’s what we’d have to offer one another:
What’s the best that could happen?
What could go right?
Hope for better, and expect the best. You’ll see it when you believe it. Imagine if our default was to expect the best—all that could go right. What doors would it open?, What dreams would be chased? What lives would it change? How differently our world would spin.
My point isn’t all that groundbreaking (and it tends to get lost in today’s doom-and-gloom dialogue), but here it is: We’ll do the impossible when we believe we can. We’ll take the big risk when we believe the best is waiting for us. We’ll make the leap when others share in our belief that we’ll stick the landing. “
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Chip Gaines Wants You to Ask Yourself This Question