How to be an expert

Expert

–noun

1.

a person who has special skill or knowledge in some particular field; specialist; authority: a language expert.

2.

Military .

a.

the highest rating in rifle marksmanship, above that of marksman and sharpshooter.

b.

a person who has achieved such a rating.

–adjective

3.

possessing special skill or knowledge; trained by practice; skillful or skilled (often fol. by in  or at ): an expert driver; to be expert at driving a car.

4.

pertaining to, coming from, or characteristic of an expert: expert work; expert advice.

  

Source http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/expert

I approach this subject with some trepidation because I'm treating it with some free thought and who knows where that will lead. As much as I like to do a little research, I also like to "free think" and tap into some sub consciousness thereby hopefully finding some creativity in writing.

I'd been thinking in the car on the way home from work today "What is an expert?" I was led to thinking that it is somebody with some sort of formal qualification in a subject.  The modern world seems full of people who can produce certificates the study of a particular subject. 

Access to university appears much easier than it once was. Reports on school exams results if they are good get challenged by some that examination papers have been "dumbed down."

Studying has never really been a strong point for me. I didn't perform as well as I'd wished in exams at school due to panicking on the day and not being able to recall answers from my memory. I've no real formal "qualifications" as such.

I've come to the conclusion that to become an expert is not an end in itself. We all continue to gain knowledge and wisdom if we choose to as we continue through life. As I've gained wisdom through my own life through various experiences (some of them pretty painful) I sense I have something worth sharing to help others. I seen the results of that with some of the people I work to support. 

I think it is broadly acceptable to state that we are all experts to one degree or another. Being an expert is not a destination, it is a landmark on a continuous journey. To illustrate this, consider the following: -

Jane Torvill and Christopher Dean achieved 12 "perfect" 6.0 scores in their Bolero ice dance during the 1984 Winter Olympics. This was not an ending destination for them, but it was a landmark for them to go further. They did not put a ceiling on the achievement. I remember watching that Ice Dance and being as impressed as most people at how good it was. Arguably, there have many ice dances since then as good or better. The scoring system cannot be based on the same principals it was back in 1984. The bar has to be raised. And will be again and again in the future.

A person with less knowledge than another may consider the person with greater knowledge as an expert. This would be true in the perception of the person with less knowledge. 

So, we can all consider ourselves to be experts to a degree and take positive energy and esteem from that. 

• Take credit for the knowledge and wisdom that you have.
• Continue to seek greater knowledge and wisdom, thereby acknowledging expertise at each landmark.  
•  Being an expert is not necessarily an exclusive club.   

Mind Connections

Have you ever experienced moments of random thought, only for a person you are with to raise the subject of your thought as is by co-incidence? Kinda spooky isn’t it!

This often happens with people that are close, such as life partners. I often witnessed this happen with my parents. My mother would think about a random subject such as shopping for something for our home followed by my father actually thinking the same thing and suggesting it. My mother would then say “Stop stealing my thoughts” and they would both laugh at the apparent absurdity. I have very often experienced the same with my wife on frequent occasions.

This poses the question whether our thoughts alone can manifest reality and whether the power of our thoughts alone can connect with and even influence another.  I've researched some of this and sensed some of the information available as being a little bit too spooky to say the least. That is not a path I want to go down on this blog. I'm more interested in the simplicity of the concept and how it appears somewhat connected to nature.

It does not seem quite so outlandish when you consider how birds can fly in a synchronised manner. See an example, click here. It is evidence to prove that nature allows this to happen. So surely this can work for us on some level as human beings. I suspect that in reality, we do it already.

Consider this:

A sports team performs better when thousands of supporters cheer them and will them to succeed. This is the so called home advantage scenario when the team has a greater proportion of their own fans at the game.

A musician raises his/her performance level when fans show their appreciation.

The power of collective prayer in faith communities can generate miracles.

The power of meditation when this is carried out collectively in a large group of people (much the same as prayer really).

Collective positive thought can produce amazing results. On the surface, this seems magical and somewhat spooky. I’d argue that positive thought “on your own” can work when those thoughts are focused. It does of course need to be followed up by action. It appears complicated, but I think it quite simple really if we choose to accept it as so. 

There's an interesting perspective and commentary on one persons experience of collective vs individual prayer on a blog, click here.  

I had an experience similar to this subject yesterday. Whilst continuing my research of various blogs and Life Coaching, I spotted a blog referring to missionary work with the Maasi in Africa. This subject reminded me of an old friend and work colleague whom I had not seen or heard from for about 3 years. (He has spent a lot of time working with the Turkana People in Kenya.)

Something really interesting happened. A few minutes later, there was a knock at my front door and the very person I thought about was standing there. On the spur of the moment, he came to visit me! We had a long chat over a couple of pints reminiscing about our past. It was a really nice time.

I wonder whether my thought of my friend created his spur of the moment decision to visit me or whether I thought about him as a result of his decision to visit.

I sensed this encounter happened for a reason. I’m excitedly waiting and seeking to discover what that reason is.

One last item I'd like to share today which is not strictly linked to today subject is a really moving article related to wisdom. I really enjoyed reading it. I hope you do too. 

The Wisdom of the Woods