How to become an expert

Opportunity - JDM Media

I have a theory that if I just walk around playing ukulele everywhere I should eventually be an expert.

Think about it. Countless hours of subliminal practice will keep my fingers moving so much that eventually it'll backfire and people will think I have a tickle fetish.

But that made me think. So much of what we're good at is down to opportunity.

Movement - JDM Media

Sure there are some talented people in the world, but without access to their respective talent tools they would not have developed their skills. I'm not good at horse back riding because I was never around horses. I'm not good at motocross because I never had a bike.

But at the same time we have so many choices. I never practiced drawing when I had the chance. I didn't get good at soccer or interpretive dance. So what I'm good at isn't just about access, it also about determination.

Does talent really exists at all or is it just a mixture of opportunity and determination? Are some people naturally tuned to do certain things?

Once a man said to a pianist, you must be so thankful to have such a talent. The pianist replied yes, and I grow more thankful with each hour of practice.

I think anyone can do anything if they really put their mind to it. The determination factor shouldn't be an issue. If you want to learn to do something, then you should do it.

Opportunity, however, is a much harder egg to crack. Opportunity isn't always something we can create. Lack of opportunity can hold us back and even destroy us.

Today I bought a woman breakfast. She was three months pregnant and her boyfriend had left her on the side of the street. She had no money, no where to live and nothing to eat. Her name was Rebecca.

The sky I see - JDM Media

I talked to her when I took her to the cafe near where I was working. She said that her parents had died when she was very young. She'd been put in foster care at a very young age. I wondered what opportunities she hadn't had, and what opportunities she hadn't created that led her to the streets of Melbourne.

I wish I'd done more to help her.

Later I also talked to a guy called Shem. He tried to convince me that the world is flat. He was also quite concerned with judgement day. He was fun. I signed him up.

On my way home, a guy in the train station gave me a lolly pop. My faith in humanity was instantly restored.

Warrior - JDM Media

When to fly - JDM Media

When I got home I started taking pictures of the birds in the park beside my house. They were so small and moved so fast that the only choice I had was high ISO and manual focus. It made them really hard to photograph.

Watching birds is often inspiring. They are born with wings and sore. Humans don't have that liberty. We have to find our wings.

- James