I have a really hard time with the term 'Expert'...
Who exactly can claim to be an 'expert' and when/how is that status achieved?
Does 'expert' imply flawlessly perfect?
Does the term 'expert' lead one to believe that no further learning is necessary, and somehow, one has 'arrived' at a status beyond question or fallibility?
Imagine the story of a surgeon that has declared to a family that he is an 'expert' in his field. He has performed this particular operation numerous times with flawless precision. Yet, upon leaving the O.R., he must deliver the horrific news that today, something went terribly wrong.
Perhaps we must accept that an 'expert' is not infallible.
I suspect that a true 'expert' would dare not ever place such a distinctive label upon them-self.
In my opinion, an 'expert' is simply one that has given them-self to the task of learning, re-learning and continuing to learn again and again to achieve a personal level of mastery. An 'expert' is one that has set very high standards and refuses to simply 'wing-it' at the expense of another.
Expertise is the ripple effect of diligence, persistence, tenacious study, desire, and a heart propelling insatiable intent to learn and grow.
The term 'expert' comes at a cost. A huge cost.
And perhaps the greatest 'experts' among us will never, ever stand up and wear such a distinctive crown. No, in humility, they understand that pride disrupts the very course that they have set their foot to walk upon.
So how does one find an 'expert' in the sea of many?
Look for the wings.
An 'expert' has made mistakes and is willing to vulnerably admit the challenges they have faced.
Like the Phoenix, the 'expert' arises again, brushes off and propels forward - and upward...
*Image from: Regard sur Image
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