If I could

If we could replace one phrase in the English language, it would make a world of difference. Ditch “If I could” and insert “I can.” There, we even saved a word.

I’ve felt this way for some time, but was nudged a few weeks ago at a party. He had been looking at some of my videos on the web and noted my travels. Given that, he asked me, “If you could live anywhere you wanted, where would it be?”

If? I can live anywhere I want. You can live anywhere you want. The only thing that’s stopping us is us.

If the hurdle is that we have family, jobs, etc. here that are in the way, that’s surmountable. The fact that we don’t move is probably because we weighed the pros and cons and made a decision. That’s a choice, not a can’t.

Yes, there are some practical considerations. I can’t see them rolling out the red carpet for me Malibu or West Palm Beach. Nor am I willing to generate and sacrifice those dollars to maintain a lifestyle that doesn’t appeal to me. But, that’s also a choice.

Last week, someone commented she couldn’t afford to pursue a vocation she loved. What’s stopping you or anyone else? Is there a law that you can’t?

If it’s a matter of training and certification, you can figure out a way. I know two people who decided to become doctors well after they passed their fortieth years. I taught a middle aged woman in night school. She decided to upgrade her high school diploma to a law degree and is now a partner in a major firm. And, a gray hair who was keystroking records for me a few years ago is now a well-paid nurse. The difference between them and their brooding counterparts is that they decided to figure out a way instead of just muttering, “If I could.”

Or, maybe the desired job doesn’t pay enough to support your current lifestyle. Start packing a lunch or develop an ancillary source of income. I have a relative who loves to coach swimming, but it doesn’t pay squat. So, he works two other gigs so he can do what makes him whole and still live the way he wants. You can make it work with the right attitude.
Going back to the original question, I’m about to visit some friends who asked themselves that very thing. They made a list, boiled it down to a half dozen locations and went to visit them for assessment. The primary requisite, according to them, was that they be near an airport with decent connections. Their business is portable but requires some air travel. That successful business is a result of them asking themselves if they’d rather punch a clock at one company and work for a wage, or sell their talent at a premium price to a number of companies.

I was with them up to there. They lost me with their list that included South Padre Island (a spring break town near the border?), Las Vegas (no thanks) and Atlanta (not a fan of traffic). Their choice? St. Petersburg, Florida. Wouldn’t be high on my list if I wanted to move, but the temperature is dropping here and I’ll be happy to go visit them. Besides, it’s always stimulating to be around people who go for it.


What it boils down to is that there are two kinds of people when it comes to extending the grasp. There are those who expend their energies dwelling upon fifty reasons why it can’t be done and those who generate fifty ways how it could be done. The former group has a shot at living their dreams.