Time to Seek an Expert

I am privileged to drive a wonderful automobile and have maintained it perfectly.  Recently the car stopped at a stoplight and it took several moments to restart it.  It ran perfectly, with no diagnostic message of a problem, so I assumed all was well and this was just a fluke.  Several days later, it happened again, and the "check engine" warning lit.  It was too late to call my service advisor that evening. When I started the car the next day, the diagnostics were all clear.  Whew!  I didn't really have time to deal with the problem that day.  My trip went well, but soon after I exited the airport parking garage my third incident occurred.  Yes, it was time to seek an expert.  The experts discovered that a sensor had failed and had to be replaced.

We often try to self-diagnose health, relationship or work issues. A significant dose of self diagnostics is laudable, instructive and productive.  But, when we keep getting warning signs that we can't eliminate, it's time to seek an expert.

Anyone Can Be an Expert

Malcolm Gladwell asserts that anyone can be an expert IF they invest 10,000 hours in the pursuit.  An ambitious path to expert status would come in 5 years IF the wannabe expert committed to investing 40 hours per week for 50 weeks per year for 5 straight years.  In our quest for instant gratification and flexibility, it's easy to see why authentic expertise is to be highly valued.  And it is sobering to realize what it really takes to claim expert status.