I Think I Can

I think that because they trusted themselves and respected themselves as individuals, because they new beyond doubt that they were valueable and potentially moral units--because od this they could give God their own courage and dignity and then receive it back. Such things have disappeared perhaps because men do not trust themselves anymore, and when that happens there is nothing left except perhaps to find some strong sure man, even though he may be wrong, and to dangle from his coattails.

- John Steinbeck

I have a degree in Computer Science. Before moving to Haiti I worked as a computer programmer for a decade. Being a "computer guy", I've gotten used to the inevitable tech-support requests that come my way. If you're a fellow computer guy you know what I'm talking about. And if you're not, you know you do it. The moment you heard about my background in computers you began salivating to ask me about your latest frustration with Word, Windows, or your new cell phone.

But I want to let you in on a little secret. My education, my experience, none of it gave me any knowledge or skill that would help me solve your problem (unless, of course, you have a question about one of a few very specialized software packages). But even so, if you ask me I'll give it a try. Often times I'm quite succesful even without specific knowledge or experience.

The key to me being successful where you might have failed is nothing more complicated than confidence. I'm confident in my ability to work a computer so I'll try the things that need to be tried. Many other people never even try to solve their computer problems because they don't believe they can do it.

In many cases success is determined by confidence. So believe in yourself-- God does.