BREAK THE MOLD
photo by Isicle
What do you want to be when you grow up?
We've all been asked this question numerous times, and I'm sure it has changed throughout your life based on experiences and interests, but what if some of us don't have one true calling?
I recently started a new job, and the reactions I get from many people are: "Oh, you have a real job now?" or "Are you going to quit teaching or dancing?"
Well, no to both of those questions.
Yes, this new job is using my education (my communication degree is actually being put to use, as well as my experiences and knowledge gained as an executive editor at a college newspaper). However, I wouldn't consider it any more "real."
This sparked a thought in my mind: why are we so hard-wired into thinking that we can only "be" one thing and if we don't fit the mold of pursuing a "normal" job then we won't be successful?
I'm on the road a lot, and that obviously requires a lot of mileage, as well as a lot of thinking. I usually choose a few TED Talks to listen to, hoping to broaden my outlook on life, and ironically, I came across a talk by Emilie Wapnick titled, "Why Some of Us Don't Have One True Calling."
It was almost like a sign.
Anyway, the talk is centered on one term: "Multipotentialite."
It's about how from a young age we're programmed to choose one thing to specialize in and even though we might have new interests forming daily, society teaches us that we can't be a "jack of all trades."
Wapnick talks about how our creativity and success could be maximized if the world embraced both specialists and multipotentialites.
This unfamiliar term, "multipotentialites" are people who have multiple interests and creative pursuits in life—specialists are the opposite, where they focus on one thing. Neither one is better than the other, however, both are needed.
Imagine how different our environment would be—it could create more jobs, more success and yes, more happiness.
Our society is black and white, no pun intended. And the ones who find zero satisfaction in "the box" are the ones who travel in between the lines; the ones who find inspiration through different mediums; the ones who have the courage to start over in order to learn about a new job or hobby.
We talk so much about change—about how we need to accept LGBT communities or different ethnicities, but we never talk about the societal norms that we live everyday.
From the age of 18, we're pressured to choose one focus that is going to determine our path in life. This is great for the specialists in the world, but what about the multipotentialites?
Multipotentialites seek new adventures and find new interests, so it doesn't mean that they are flaky by any means or afraid of commitment, it means that they are using their potential to the max and increasing their knowledge through different mediums and experiences gained along the way.
I am a dancer and a teacher (and a bunch of other things), but I am also someone who thrives off of creativity, so I crave new ideas and projects. Transitioning from one project or job allows me to become a more rounded person, while learning new skills and techniques that can transfer from job to job.
We're constantly pressured to choose what we want to be when we grow up, but Wapnick said we never question all that we can be. Fulfilling all of our passions in life—big or small—is what we should be living for. Whether that is specializing in one thing or learning from a multitude of jobs, we are all hard-wired differently and should be creating our own mold in order to pursue our goals.
Wapnick, like myself, thought that in order to create a strong and successful career, we would have to pick one thing and deny the rest of our passions, but that's the opposite of what multipotentialites should do. We should embrace the many goals we have and break the mold.
Think about this: Who said we have to have to dedicate our life to one job or one passion?
Expand your knowledge. Follow your path. Pursue your passions.