The key thing that people omit to say when they tell beginners that "position is everything" is that position means nothing UNLESS they player exploits his position by playing aggressively. If you are a passive player, your position doesn't really help you nearly as much.
Position allows you to play more aggressively. If you don't take advantage of it, that's something you need to learn if you want to get past being a beginner. The importance of position doesn't change because you have yet to learn how to exploit it.
Even the simplest hand can benefit. You have AA, first to act. So you raise and others respect your early position raise and fold. When you do get called, you will be the first to act and once again, your bet may induce a fold, or your check a check behind. It's harder to get money into the pot.
Compare that to AA on the button. Other people are more likely to enter the pot. You have a chance to make more money. You can raise a tight opponent who is likely to have a good hand and make the call. Or you can call a more aggressive opponent and hope he'll bet the flop and you can raise him then. If multiple opponents enter the pot, you can reduce the field with a good raise, with the goal of getting heads up. You can get more money into the pot because you know who else is in the hand, knowledge you don't have when first to act.
And don't reply you are going to limp AA UTG, because after four people limp after you and crack your Aces, we don't want to hear about it.
