If, Can, Will
At the end of what has been a grim and complex year I have found myself reflecting on three words: if, can, and will. My reflections are actuated by the experiences I have had this year and the many diverse conversations that I’ve been privy to. My thoughts aim to be as objective as humanly possible and to experiment with a logic-based framework that can adapted by all types of people to proceed into the upcoming year. The only thing certain about 2021 is that it is going to happen; that is all.
“What if…?”
I heard countless sentences start this way over the span of 2020. These sentences were issued from the mouths of my friends, peers, mentors, and myself. In 2020 we all experienced a cultural shock universal enough to be considered a mass killing of our lifestyles. What we knew and what we expected evaporated quickly as restrictions to protect hundreds of millions from COVID-19 were put in place. Hope and purpose began to drain from communities across America, and as we all begrudgingly accepted (or attempted to accept) the restrictions, we began using the phrase “what if” frequently.
I realized something about the phrase and the mentality that conjures it: there is no value in contemplating what could’ve been. While there may be moments of joy procured from wandering into the fantasy of “what if”, those moments are replaced by a looming and monstrous reality that is much more significant. In order to proceed into 2021 with gusto, we must be wary of the phrase “what if”.
In order to remove something from one’s diction, we’d be wise to have a replacement to fill the gap. Rather than asking “what if” I believe that we must ask “what can?” followed by “what will?”
For example:
“What can I do to reverse division amongst the members of my community, many of whom I care deeply for?”
After asking this question to yourself or others, deliberation will lead us to a hypothesis that can be tested.
“What will happen when I spend 90 minutes a week inviting my friends to volunteer with me in the community?”
Why ask what can? This short combination of words puts us in a position to consider options, alternates, and perspectives. With objectivity, this phrase will allow us to start walking forwards rather than remaining immobile.
Why ask what will? The reason is simple: our hypothesis, our ideas, and our actions may or may not lead to a viable solution, and we must be willing and able to pivot. Not only will it behoove us to ask ourselves how we can change a situation, but we must also be prepared to admit that our first idea (or even our 15th) wasn’t successful.
During 2020 I saw many fall into the doldrums of wondering “what if”. I saw many take action and proceed toward a hopeful future, but refuse to adapt and evolve when their first steps proved faulty or unfit. I am afraid of what our world will look like if we make these mentalities habit in the upcoming year.
Empathy, self-awareness, and a desire to deny hubris will be paramount in 2021. We need to stop wondering “what if” and start asking, with confidence, “what can?” and “what will”. We’ve been led by incapable leadership on a multitude of levels and have been sold the lie that delusional behavior and blanket solutions are acceptable for our great nation. I deny these leaders of any validation. We must look within before looking out for both the causes of our success and failure.
What can 2021 hold for us all? And what will we do to make a magnificent future possible?
Thoughtfully,
Dylan Santos Green
12/30/20
DISCLAIMER
All of these thoughts and ruminations are my own. They’re based upon my singular experience, and I am sharing them with the single intention of expressing my own experience in hopes that it may positively contribute to the perspective of others. In writing this I have made a conscious effort to express my thoughts objectively and without any intention of causing ill-will or harm. I welcome any and all feedback, with the caveat that I ask for an equal intention of objectivity and consideration.