'If I can' vs 'What if'

R. Buckmnster Fuller once said: ‘I'm not a genius. I'm just a tremendous bundle of experience.’ I can appreciate this quote more than ever. When I first came out of college, man I thought I knew everything! I was able to endure years of schooling and finally step into the real world. If I can survive school, I can survive anything!

Younger people (even though I am still young) like to use this phase, ‘If I can do [ ], I can do that too!’ It is a ‘gun-ho’ spirit that gives the youngsters energy. We were fearless because we knew we could conquer the world. Little that we knew, this world is not about survival. We are not talking about living in the 3rd world country here. We are living in the modern world of America. Being able to survive or do things is not the point! The point is to get to Point A to Point B faster. Remember the 1st time you tried typing. I can’t imagine typing 60 words per minute using your index finger only. You got to learn the intricacies behind the layout of the keyboard. Why are certain keys positioned a specific way? Your fingers can all move strategically to type out everything you want once you learned the method created by someone else. Yes you can absolutely type out everything using one finger, but it just inefficient. You will get there slower. Why waste your time? Your life is precious. Pick and choose when you to use the “If I can’ phrase.

About a month ago, we went to North Carolina. We got the chance to meet this amazing individual named David. David was absolutely full of wisdom and had accomplished many things in life. Among all these words of wisdom, there was one thing absolutely amazing about him and that was these ‘What if’ phrases. He said to us, ‘When I first started to invest real estate, I asked myself what if there is a website that provides the most comprehensive information about pre-construction opportunities? What if..? What if…?’ David created one of the best pre-construction website and was able to be prosperous from his new venture. Asking the ‘What if’ questions helped him to imagine and dream big. He can see the destination. Once you are done with the ‘What if’ question, your mind will automatically and naturally shift gear to identify the following steps. The ‘what if’ question makes you think, the ‘if I can’ makes you do. They are both good phrases and get you going, but the difference is which part of you that you want to get it going first?