Pacific Coast
Another shot from the same beach as yesterday. This is also taken with the macro lens even though it's not really a macro shot. The lens is quite fun and lets me take a variety of shots. I can't help but love the blues and greens of the coastline water. So magical and beautiful.

Fear of Learning
Something that I often run into in my work is people telling me how amazing it is that I know how to do it. "I can't believe you did this! You're so bright!" I hear such compliments over and over again. Which, while being very nice, aren't really warranted 100%.

We all have strengths and weaknesses. More to my point, we each have our unique set of knowledge. Things we've learned at some point or another, some through formal means and some practically. To the people who know them, the things they know often seem easy. Especially if it's something they've done frequently. For example, I've been doing database design for almost ten years now, and such there are basic principles of design that I know like the back of my hand. Same goes for using a computer or writing UNIX shell scripts. These are things that others might value and feel are difficult but most of the time they are not to me.

On the other hand, I can't cook to save my life. I wish I were more creative and artistically talented. I wish I knew how to do real advanced math or physics. I can't ride a bike. I am still struggling with driving. To someone who can ride a bike, that skill is no biggie. Just cause you can do it and have been able to do it since you were six, doesn't make it easy. It just makes it something you know.

If we all realized that the world comes in two categories: stuff we know and stuff we don't know, we could all relax and know that things can be moved from one category into the other. Some items may take longer to transfer. For example, I imagine it would take me much longer to learn the details of string theory than it might to learn how to cook peas. What matters isn't how long it takes me, it is the fact that almost any item can be moved from the "i don't know" column to the "i know" column with the right amount of time, resources, and attitude.

In my opinion, attitude is the biggest factor. If you have the right attitude, you can create the time and find the resources. Every bit of improvement starts with believing in yourself and your ability to accomplish your task. That's why I cringe each time someone says "Oh, I could never do that."

You most definitely could, dammit!