Jack of all, Master of none.
Since the beginning of time, since I can remember, life has always been about the race – either with others, with yourself, with your past, with your heritage, with your family – it is all about the race. It is all about moving ahead, leaving something behind; what is that something? Nobody really knows.
In school, it was all about scoring better marks, better marks than your peers, better marks than last year, better marks than your parents at that age an so the race began. In college it was about the marks, but it was also about the recommendations. At work, it is about doing better at everything. It is all a rush, and everyone is rushing. This isn't a piece about how no one stops to smell the roses; I am not one of those people who stops to smell the roses, or even stops.
I am talking about this race because I know there are some who win, in every single phase. There are some who find that winning at something and losing at the others is worth it because they are the best at that one thing. But there are some who come in the top 10 or top 20 at everything, consistently. They call them “the jack of all trades, master of none.” Now usually this is seen as someone who can do a lot of tasks but isn't necessarily competent at them all. But the urban definition has been tweaked a little.
I am a jack of all, master of none; I have always been good at everything that I have tried. I have never been amazing but nor have I screwed anything up. I am a good dancer, a good actor, a good production person, a good writer, a good social media person, and so on. I am good but I am not the best – this isn't a ‘brag about me’ post, it is something that I have always wanted to talk about.
The thing is I have never been amazing at anything, and I have always strived to be and will always continue to do so. That is the way I have been brought up, that is how it works. The only difference now is that I am okay with being a jack of all. There have been times when this thing about me has caused people to assume a lot of things about me. People have thought that I have a problem focussing, that I lack passion, that I have a wavering mind. But here is what I learned about this part of me.
I am not a jack of all because I lack focus; I am a jack of all because I am open to anything and everything.
I will try everything at least once and then build an opinion about it.
No work will ever be beneath me; I have fetched coffee, carried jackets and opened doors, because I have worked everywhere.
I have something or the other always waiting for me, if the thing I am working on right now does not fall through.
I have had the time to explore a lot of things and found my niche.
I have a gazillion hobbies and things to do if I am ever bored.
I always have that extra ‘plus’ to offer, being the jack of all gives me an edge.
I can handle anything that comes my way because more often than not at some point or the other I have done something like it.
I know what I want to do and I strive to work at it, but while that is happening I do not say no to an opportunity to try something else; knowledge is never wasted.
So, if you are a jack of all, master of none and haven’t found what you are amazing at – keep at it. You are okay…
In school, it was all about scoring better marks, better marks than your peers, better marks than last year, better marks than your parents at that age an so the race began. In college it was about the marks, but it was also about the recommendations. At work, it is about doing better at everything. It is all a rush, and everyone is rushing. This isn't a piece about how no one stops to smell the roses; I am not one of those people who stops to smell the roses, or even stops.
I am talking about this race because I know there are some who win, in every single phase. There are some who find that winning at something and losing at the others is worth it because they are the best at that one thing. But there are some who come in the top 10 or top 20 at everything, consistently. They call them “the jack of all trades, master of none.” Now usually this is seen as someone who can do a lot of tasks but isn't necessarily competent at them all. But the urban definition has been tweaked a little.
I am a jack of all, master of none; I have always been good at everything that I have tried. I have never been amazing but nor have I screwed anything up. I am a good dancer, a good actor, a good production person, a good writer, a good social media person, and so on. I am good but I am not the best – this isn't a ‘brag about me’ post, it is something that I have always wanted to talk about.
The thing is I have never been amazing at anything, and I have always strived to be and will always continue to do so. That is the way I have been brought up, that is how it works. The only difference now is that I am okay with being a jack of all. There have been times when this thing about me has caused people to assume a lot of things about me. People have thought that I have a problem focussing, that I lack passion, that I have a wavering mind. But here is what I learned about this part of me.
I am not a jack of all because I lack focus; I am a jack of all because I am open to anything and everything.
I will try everything at least once and then build an opinion about it.
No work will ever be beneath me; I have fetched coffee, carried jackets and opened doors, because I have worked everywhere.
I have something or the other always waiting for me, if the thing I am working on right now does not fall through.
I have had the time to explore a lot of things and found my niche.
I have a gazillion hobbies and things to do if I am ever bored.
I always have that extra ‘plus’ to offer, being the jack of all gives me an edge.
I can handle anything that comes my way because more often than not at some point or the other I have done something like it.
I know what I want to do and I strive to work at it, but while that is happening I do not say no to an opportunity to try something else; knowledge is never wasted.
So, if you are a jack of all, master of none and haven’t found what you are amazing at – keep at it. You are okay…
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