It’s been said that if you read three books on any given topic in a year, you are considered an expert in that field. Perhaps this is comprising your new found knowledge to the average joe. But 3 books are better than zero, but it certainly can’t be all encompassing. 

It takes passion to take on a new subject of knowledge, a new sport, or a new job. I think it’s more popular to stay status quo and simply remain afloat with what we already know. But where does that get us? It’s true, nobody likes being the new guy who is learning all the baby steps that everyone takes for granted. But you have to start somewhere. 

Hopefully the topic you’re pursuing is something of passion for you, which should make it easier to unleash your curiously and desire to learn. If it’s not, I’d question what you are doing dealing with this topic in the first place!

Ditch the fear of being the new guy, and ditch the fear of learning those baby steps. There will always be someone out there who knows more than you. And if, by some chance, you think you know more than everyone else, stop and listen and realize that you can always learn from others, even if it’s only a different point of views.

The phrase “I stand on the shoulders of giants”, thought to have originated with Isaac Newton (although it can be traced back much further) sums it up: use the knowledge of those that came before you to inspire you, to teach you, and to shed light on new topics.

Think of what you knew 10 years ago. Now compare it to today. There should be a drastic difference between the two. If not, you are cheating yourself out of all the great things this word offers. We hold a world of knowledge in our hands every day. If you don’t have time to take a class or earn a degree, fire up the Internet and start learning something new!