Do you believe you can't teach others until you've achieved expert status?
For many of us, it's not just about teaching—we avoid even talking about topics where we feel less than fully knowledgeable. We tell ourselves: "I'll wait. I'll learn more first. Then I'll be qualified to share."
But here's the question that haunts us: When does that day actually arrive?
For most people, it never does. Even after months or years of learning, that feeling of "expert enough" remains frustratingly out of reach.
I used to think this way too. Then a combination of books, experiences, and unexpected insights revealed two fundamental truths I'd been missing.
The Expert Paradox
First truth: Humble people never truly feel they've reached expert status. The more you learn, the more you realize how much you don't know. It's the Dunning-Kruger effect in reverse—true knowledge breeds healthy uncertainty.
Second truth: The path to mastery is long and winding. But the fastest way to accelerate your growth isn't more passive learning—it's active practice. Including guiding others. Including teaching.
For a long time, I've been wrestling with big questions: What's the meaning of life in this modern world? Why are we here in these cities, living these lives? These aren't small questions.
And by my own old logic, I shouldn't be exploring them publicly until I have all the answers, right?
But I started sharing anyway. Not as an expert, but as a fellow traveler on the path. I began connecting with people asking similar questions, hoping we could grow together.
Would I make mistakes? Absolutely.
The Wisdom That Changed Everything
Yesterday, I attended one of Neale's learning sessions. A participant named David, a designer in his 60s, asked a question that stopped me in my tracks:
"I create designs to bring beauty into the world. But I'm 60 now. Time is running short, and I'm desperate to figure out how to reach more people. How do I expand my reach?"
Neale's response hit me like a lightning bolt:
"David, thank you for bringing beautiful choices into the world. The world is grateful you're here. But don't focus on the numbers. You're here tobethe person you want to become—someone who brings kindness and beauty to others.
Bringing this to 100,000 people isn't more magnificent than bringing it to one person, five people, or ten. What matters is whether you're consistentlyembodyingwho you want to be.
You don't even need grand gestures. Simply smiling at someone on the street is an expression of bringing beauty into the world. Your influence takes many forms—don't limit yourself to just one method."
The Revelation About Purpose
Neale shared his own journey: he's encountered countless people while sharing his beliefs. Not everyone accepts his message. Some reject it entirely. But he learned something profound through this experience.
The question isn't "How many people will accept my message?"
The real question is: "Am I embodying the person I want to become?"
Do you want to be kind? Be creative? Be driven and full of energy? Then be that person, regardless of how many people notice or respond.
What shook me to my core was the realization about purpose itself. It's not as complex as we make it. It's not "I need to deliver my aesthetic work to 100,000 people."
It's something more fundamental: "I want to bring hope and beauty into this world."
That's it. That's the purpose. The rest is just methods.
Correcting Course
This realization felt urgent. I immediately knew I needed to reach back to friends I'd been advising and correct the incomplete messages I'd been sharing.
This experience proved something I'd read but hadn't fully internalized: What you seek, you must give to others.
By teaching before I felt "ready," both my friend and I grew together. And here's the surprising part: I grew even faster. The person sharing learns more than the person receiving.
The Chinese saying captures this beautifully: 施比受更有福 (It is more blessed to give than to receive). It's not just spiritual wisdom—it's a practical principle of accelerated growth.
The Permission You Don't Need
We wait for permission that will never come. We wait for expertise that always feels just out of reach. We wait for the "right time" to share what we're learning.
But what if the right time is now? Not because you have all the answers, but because no one does. Not because you're an expert, but because the journey itself is the teaching.
Your purpose isn't to reach a certain number of people or achieve a certain status. Your purpose is simpler and more profound: to embody who you want to become, and in doing so, give what you wish to receive.
The expertise will come. Not from waiting, but from doing.
What have you been waiting to share? What knowledge or journey have you been keeping to yourself until you feel "ready enough"? Perhaps the world doesn't need you to be an expert. Perhaps it just needs you to begin.
I'm Alvin Cheung, an IT pro with 15+ years helping businesses level up their tech. I love finding everyday wisdom and exploring how tech and spirituality can enhance our lives. When I'm not geeking out on IT solutions, I'm sharing stories about personal growth and life lessons.
Email: alvin.cheung@nstrlabs.com
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