Don't need to know it all

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Yesterday I attended an eight-hour continuing education seminar on financial statement analysis. As you utter a yawn in response to me sharing this, let me assure you that I yawned with you. I’m required to complete 80 hours of continuing education every two years to renew my professional license. Yesterday’s seminar makes me “whole” for 2010 and in good shape for my next license renewal in February 2011.

There’s no doubt that learning is a lifetime journey and I’m OK with that. It’s true for growing in faith, fitness, fortune and health so a broad lifetime learning curriculum is needed. There’s no doubt that I’m better read in some topics than others and that’s the way it is for most people. We tend to gravitate towards learning what interests us and avoid the stuff that doesn’t or is too difficult. You won’t catch me with a pile of advanced mathematics books in my personal library as that body of knowledge is not my forte.

As a young professional buck who did well in college, I remember wanting to know it all and for many years tried to do so. It eventually beat me up and wore me out. That’s true, I’m sure for most professionals. I once asked a medical doctor client of mine - who practiced internal medicine - how he kept up with the broad body of knowledge in his domain. He replied that he limited the articles he read in his professional medical journals and publications, such as excluding articles about cancer and AIDS. My initial reaction was one of being startled at his revelation but that immediately subsided with an appreciation for his honesty.

It’s no different for me too in all candidness. There’s so much to know and not know that it can be overwhelming. In another sign that I’ve matured, like my medical doctor client, I have peace in that I don’t need to know it all.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum