You ARE expert enough

Lately I’ve been doing lots of reading and thinking, and I’ve had all these words and thoughts swimming around in my head, and it reminded me of the importance of writing stuff down.

Sometimes, amidst the confusion, the best thing to do is slow down, and go back to the basics.

I was reading an article (or three) on being Expert enough. The idea behind them is that often, we start reading and learning about something we really like, say yoga, and we slowly start trying to apply it in small ways. And we don’t even realize that as we take teeny tiny steps in our learning process, we learn more and more just through our own experience. So with yoga, you maybe go out and buy clothes you can practice comfortably in, you select a yoga mat, and you take a class, or buy a video or two to try out at home. You realize a certain type of mat is too thin or too cheap; or certain clothes are uncomfortable for the types of moves you do, or certain instructors just don’t jive with you. These are all things you learn without even realizing it. Then, as you follow a beginner’s course, you learn to become more aware of your body, where certain areas are tighter than others. You learn how to work with your body, almost as its own separate entity, to find balance and strength. Before you know it, you’ve been practicing, maybe just on and off, for the last 6 months, then for a year. Now doing yoga, not even regularly, doesn’t make you an expert does it?

Well, it depends on who you talk to. For someone who’s never done yoga, you’re the perfect “expert” for them to talk to if they’re interested in trying it out. Maybe the so-called experts (you know the ones; super skinny, crazy flexible and always zen-looking) are too intimidating for someone like them to approach to ask questions they feel are silly. But only recently, you were in their shoes, feeling uncomfortable with your own body, maybe too shy to join a class and feeling inadequate next to everyone else. But to this person who’s never done yoga, you are exactly the expert they need.

It’s the same for running, or meditating, or even drawing, speed reading, or designing apps! Whatever it is you’re interested in and have been doing even just as a hobby, you have experience that you can share with others.

Doing your impossible

Another thing I’ve realized lately is that the best, most fulfilling moments we find ourselves in, are times when we challenge ourselves, even just a little, and get out of our own comfort zones to do something you never thought you could do. Maybe you want to learn archery, maybe you want to learn how to paint still life, maybe you want to learn to run 5K, maybe you want to write a story. For me, it was something as simple as recording a video message.

I’m an introvert (until I get to know people, then I can’t shut up). I’ve always had trouble with public speaking and doing presentations in front of groups. No matter how much I know the material, my brain always shuts down and I forget everything. So putting myself in the spotlight by pointing a video camera at myself was a HUGE deal. Sure, I was terrified, and I rambled on for a while, not really conscious of what I was saying, but soon the words started to make sense, and I felt like I was just talking to one person instead of however many will be watching that video. And it was ok.

Once I got through my initial nervousness, I was able to let my passion shine through and then I just couldn’t stop talking. Then, focusing on the specific message I was trying to convey became a bit of a challenge, but I got there too; at least I think I did. 🙂

The reason I’m saying this is to show you that even the smallest thing can be an impossible thing for us, but challenging ourselves does something amazing. It wakes us up. It revitalizes our energy. And it boosts our confidence, as we prove to ourselves that we can do it.

Then, as we look at other things we might want to try doing, the sky’s the limit.

Once you’ve survived your first yoga class, you realize it’s not so hard, and you feel encouraged to attend the next one. Once you complete your first 5K, you become more confident that you can try for 10K. You know what to do now. You know the steps you need to take to get there. For me, now I know I don’t need to be afraid to turn on that video camera and maybe I won’t ramble so much and speak more clearly and eloquently next time.

And the more I do it, the better I get at it, and soon I might find myself encouraging someone who’s never done it before. And there’s no better feeling than to take your knowledge (the theory you’ve read and learned as well as the experience you’ve gained by trying things out and making your own mistakes) and passing it on to someone else. Even better if it’s something you’re passionate about, because then you get to see that person’s eyes light up as they achieve their own first step and feed their sense of pride in the process.

I posted my video. And I got a really rewarding response. Someone thanked me. My nervousness had shown through, but it was my courage that inspired them to keep working on their own dreams and passions, and do their own impossible. It’s not why I did it; but it sure as hell is a great bonus.

So now I want to hear from you. What’s YOUR passion? What are YOU good at, that you’ve always thought was just there. A talent you’ve taken for granted because maybe it was always a part of you, or maybe you’ve been doing it for so long, you’ve forgotten how much you’ve learned and grown because of it. Maybe it’s gardening, or decorating, or baking, or fixing cars, or fixing computers, or making really cool video compilations. It could be ANYTHING!

What are YOU an expert in? I’d love it if you would share it with me. I love hearing about what people’s passions are.

– Mel