That’s right; you are an expert. How does that feel?
Does it bring up resistance or anxiety? Are you afraid to call yourself an expert?
Being an expert means you own your personal power, experiences, and knowledge. There is a big difference between calling yourself an expert and saying you are the expert. Being an expert doesn’t mean you know everything there is to know.
In fact, true experts never stop learning; they never stop being students first. Don’t look at leaders in your field and say, compared to that person I’m no expert. You teach and help people who know less than you.
I assure you that every expert you can think of recognizes at least one other person as knowing more than them. All the greatest virtuosos and leaders have their own mentors, people they look up to, people they consider to be the expert.
Being an expert means you are skilled, adept, experienced, trained and a professional.
Don’t put that word, expert, on some monumental pedestal you’ll never allow yourself to reach. Telling the world that you are an expert simply means you are apt, able and ready to serve. You are qualified, savvy, and practiced.
I’m sure you’re an expert in numerous things. If you want to succeed in your own business, improve the lives of friends, family, and strangers, you must be willing to own your expertise.
Proclaiming yourself as an expert doesn’t mean you are claiming to be the world’s #1 anything, it merely says you know more than other people. To be an outstanding expert, teacher, or author you just need to know more than your students and readers.
This is not about false bravado and soothing your ego; this is about you standing up and proudly owning your experiences, successes, and accomplishments. This is about giving yourself permission to pursue your dreams of being of service to others and being paid for it.
How to discover your hidden expertise
Answer these questions without judgment or limitations.
- What do you enjoy?
- What have you ever done?
- What do you love learning about?
- What are your hobbies?
- What is your business?
- What advice do people ask you about over and over?
- What stories do friends and family ask to hear the most?
- What was your favorite thing to do as a child?
- What fascinates you?
- What activities make you lose track of time?
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All of these answers are clues to your expertise.
Claim your power and your expert skill and knowledge. Decide it is so, and take action. It is time to realize that what you love to do demands to be done.
Nobody else in the world has had your exact experiences or lived your precise life, and somewhere people are struggling to get through something you’ve already gotten through.
Somewhere people are confused by things that come naturally to you. Everyone has a message others are desperately waiting to hear; don’t make them wait forever.
It has never been easier to teach, write and share your message with the world than it is today, and you don’t need to be an expert in technology to do so.
You can put your expertise into action as a coach, speaker, author, teacher, consultant, trainer and much more. As you develop your expert content, allow it to go out into the world in as many formats as possible, including eBooks, physical books, podcasts, blog posts, guest articles, online courses, webinars, live in-person teaching, videos, radio, and television appearances, speaking… There is no end to the ways to share your message and make a great living doing so. But if you can’t own your expertise, it will always be an uphill struggle.
It’s a disservice to the world to keep your message inside of you. There is a genius in you waiting to be developed, waiting to be expressed. Now is your time.
You can even get started right here. Consider submitting something to GoodMenProject or signing up for our writing prompts.
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