Expert: a person who has special skill or knowledge in some particular field; specialist; authority.
Latin origins: experīrī to try, experience.
I’ve had a beautiful few days in Troncones, exploring new activities and having some very cool and real conversations with folks here.
With each conversation, I’ve learned some small, medium and big things:
- From my yoga teacher about how to improve my sun salutation
- From the Qi Gong instructor about the elevation of consciousness and our joint love of the Latin American culture
- From another guest who has a passion for Persian history (I had no knowledge of Zoroaster prior to Monday evening).
The thread?
They all expressed passion about their subject. When I asked them how they became so knowledgeable, each one of them said the same thing: experience.
Experience – not necessarily multiple degrees – makes the expert.
Each one of the individuals above shared their lessons or suggestions from experience. Maybe they earn money for their expertise, maybe they have some certification or degree as required to establish authority in our society. But their teachings, their conversations and what they share come from what they know to be true from what they’ve seen, heard, smelled, touched, listened to, lost and loved.
They share what they know. And it works.
My dad worked in technology for more than 40 years. And he’s a computer expert. He teaches computer science to college students now.
But he’s also an expert in being a dad, even if he didn’t go to school or get paid for it. He could probably teach a thing or two about it.
Seems simple, and it is. You’re already an expert – on you. Your story, journey, hobby or perspective is worth sharing. Someone will and will want to relate. And guess what? You don’t have to be popular, you just have to share what you know.
My guess is that if we all made an effort to share what we know, we’d all be loads smarter.
What’s your take? Is it life experience and willingness to share it that makes an expert or is it a combination of other factors and qualities?
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Laura, all you need is a degree and you’re automatically an expert. Come on now. We’ve been over this:)
.-= Josh Hanagarne´s last blog ..How To Have Tourette’s Part 18: 8400 Seconds =-.
Josh, how could I forget that? You’ve told me so many times…I must have had vacation brain when I wrote this. :)
Laura: The problem with being an “expert” is that usually the things we are “expert” at are the things that are our natural talents — and they’re usually quite transparent to us. Am I an expert writer, group traveler, blogger, writing workshop facilitator, family tension smoother-over? Yeah, probably. But can’t I be an expert in something that will pay well?!?!?
.-= Linda Dini Jenkins´s last blog ..Guest Blog Feature: La Tavola Marche =-.
That’s the key – the paying well part! I’ve been brainstorming with people about how to take those passions and bring them to life in a way that both matters and is profitable – and I know there are so many ideas…we’ll have to work together to make this happen :)
Thank you for this thought-provoking post. It talks to me too. What you write I totally relate to because for me it goes to show that some of us perhaps do not simply wish to do what we love for mere self-realization but more so because doing something else kills the energy and feeling of being alive. ;-) My thoughts on this subject, anyway. Keep rolling!
Thanks so much for your note Kari! I agree that we want to align what we do with the energy that can keep us alive. So glad you stopped by!