Just take a second to think about the unknown. Does it scare you? Maybe intrigue you? There is so much in this world we do not know, but it’s astonishing. What if we were able to unlock the 90% of our brains that is a no-mans-land? Imagine the possibilities — we would have the cure for cancer, for AIDS, we would end world hunger and we would find world peace — if we were able to use our brains at full capacity? We could be anything or anyone we wanted. However, to have that type of power to know everything scares me. I don’t want to know when my family will die or when the cure for cancer will be found and I would like to keep it that way. Imagine the world where every single person knew everything.

We would no longer have our “what if’s,” or our “why is this happening?” questions. We would live in a world where the seven deadly sins would take a whole new meaning. To be glutton for knowledge would mean nothing because we would know everything. To be prideful for doing great would meaning nothing because we’ve all achieved great. To be lustful of one another for being knowledgeable, again, would mean nothing. If all of our “what if” questions would be answered, we would begin living in a world of competence.

However, we all have questions. We all have that one burning question and it’s different for everyone, but my big question is this: Would you want to be a person who knows a little about everything or everything about a certain subject. Either one you choose it will be what excites you most. My personal answer would be knowing a little something about everything. Imagine someone asking about the galactic interference caused by an asteroid and you knew enough about it to answer it. It would be great, right? Plus, you’ll never stop learning, your learning continuum never seizes. No matter how hard we work to know something about everything, we will never be able to know everything in this world.

I don’t want to live in a world of competence. I want to live in a world where the unknown gives us the drive to find the answers. I want the “what if’s” and “why’s” because those two little phrases are what keeps our world turning. My “what if” is what if we could be anything or anyone we wanted to be? If I could be anything or anyone I’d be Taylor Nelson, Doctor of Optometry, or maybe I’d be Taylor Nelson, editor for the New York Times.

Take a moment and think about your “what if” questions. What are you doing to solve your unknown "what if" question? We live in the 21^st century where our “what if’s” are possible. Your answer is out there, you just have to know where and how to find it. So I’m asking you to dig deep within you and ask yourself, "What I am doing to solve my unknown?" Don’t fall to competence, be the one who rises to greatness.