I'm a writer. I know, I know ... shocker. But there are nuances to being a writer that some people never consider.

For starters, a writer often has to quickly make him or herself an "authority" on a topic, using source material to gain an inside perspective, to write about it in a way that resonates with and conveys meaning to the reader. We become "on the fly experts." It's part of the job.

And that's a job I've done since I was very young. I've made a career of it. I teach other people to do it, and to get better at it, to leverage that ability to build or improve their business and their lives. It's a core belief—something I don't question. And yet, recently I've been challenged on that belief, and it has me thinking.