> Gradually, neuroscientists came to realize that experts such as chess grand masters are experts because they have stored thousands of chunks of knowledge about their area of expertise in their long-term memory. Chess masters, for example, can recall tens of thousands of different chess patterns. Whatever the discipline, experts can call up to consciousness one or several of these well-knit-together, chunked neural subroutines to analyze and react to a new learning situation. This level of true understanding, and ability to use that understanding in new situations, comes only with the kind of rigor and familiarity that repetition, memorization, and practice can foster.

This made a lot of sense to me. A pianist plays through these chunks of knowledge - and learns through them as well. These "chunked neural subroutines" can be built, and clearly are.

I think a lot of resistance for me comes from learned helplessness (aka baby elephant syndrome). For me, growing up my inner narrative was one of failure and rejection. But as i've grown and changed this narrative to be more nurturing, I do see more and more, my capacity for a great many things. Am I crazy? A genius? An idiot? Nope. I just figured out that with a lot of curiosity, play and patience, you can become proficient or even a domain expert. That's easy to see, at a certain level.

But I think for a lot of us, we have a concept of who we are, what we are and what we are not. And this, at least for me, this definition of I, has held me back more than anything. Change the definition, challenge assumptions, push boundaries. See who you are.