Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Advice of Non-experts

Michael Hyatt recently blogged about preparing for a half-marathon. In stating why we should listen to him, a person who has not been running very long, he states:
My lack of experience is precisely what qualifies me to speak on the topic. When I got started, most of the advice I received was from veteran runners. They knew a lot about running—as a veteran runner. But apparently they had forgotten what it was like to be a beginner. I still remember.


Why should we listen? Because he is an expert on being a beginner. I'm not planning on running a marathon or a half-marathon, but I do have a lot to say about a lot of things and I often wonder why people should listen to me when there are so many expert out there who know so much more than I do. They are the ones who have it all figured out, not me. With the exception of a few things, I'm not an expert on things, but I am on this journey, seeking to learn, like everyone else. That is what qualifies us non-experts to speak. We may not always be right, but we may be able to help someone who is not quite as far along the journey as we are better than someone who has already gone the whole way.