If you’ve ever owned a house, you know that owning one is essentially like paying to have a series of projects that never end, half of which you probably don’t know how to do. That’s how I feel anyway.
Sarah, my wife, and I bought our first home this past December after years of renting ourselves, and so far, it’s felt a bit like being put into high school calculus without having any algebra in middle school. There’s problems and projects in front of us that we have no idea how to do because we’ve never seen anything like them before.
So, what do you do? You hire the professionals. And professionals get paid like professionals.
It pays to be an expert. An expert plumber, an expert electrician and expert handyman. You have a skill very few others have, and you can put a price tag on that value. I’m always a little shell shocked when I hear a quote back from these folks and think, “Wow! You make that much. I’m in the wrong field.”
But in reality, we’re all experts in something that others aren’t. Some just pay more than others. But being an expert is something to take pride in, no matter what it may be.
Maybe you’re an expert gamer? Or an expert at Microsoft Excel? Or an expert friend, knowing everything about your loved ones and caring for them deeply in ways no one else can?
It can’t be valued by money, but you’re valuable. Your expertise is needed. You’re needed. It’s about finding that Truth in yourself and leaning into it. When you do, the world around you is a little bit better - fixed. Just like my electricity will be today.
-Cliff
Cliff’s Note: Own your expertise.