Why the One Thing You’re Good At Could be Ruining Youfeatured

When I was younger, I was certain writing was my calling. I carried notebooks and pens everywhere I went and constantly wrote in my diary. I imagined myself as a teacher or a reporter. I was unsure of the exact profession, but I always knew I would be writing somewhere.

I have followed this dream for as long as I can remember and I continue to do so to this day. It’s what I know, what I love, what I am good at.

A person recently asked me for some career advice. Without thinking about it, I let them know to get a job doing something they never have before so that they can get paid to learn and become more marketable in the process.

I am a writer at my core. I have always envisioned myself as a “behind the scenes” type of person. The type that will bring talent to the table without ever seeking any kind of praise. I have always been okay with being the muscle behind the talent…until now.

As you might have heard, I am currently living out my dream as a writer. I write for a company I believe in and my heart is happy every day that I wake. I am currently learning new ways I can write to appeal to larger audiences and I am loving every second of it.

A wise mentor once told me, “Everyone can be good at one thing, but it takes real talent to be great at many things”

I didn’t know what he meant for the longest time. I mean, aren’t we all taught to perfect one skill to get ahead in life?

Sure. We are often taught that we have one “true calling.” But I have seen way too many people be good at one thing and one thing alone. Their “thing,” their “passion,” their “calling.” All too often they forget that by only focusing on one thing they close many potential doors in front of them in the process.

I don’t think college is for everyone. Hell, I even regret some of my schooling. But one thing I did learn from college is the fact that life is a neverending learning process.

But no matter what your craft, there is always more to learn about not only that craft, but the world around you…about what drives your peers, and about how you can make a larger impact with an extended skillset.

Some people think they can only be good at one thing and they are wrong. I’ll admit it, I was very wrong for a very long time. I thought I was just a writer. I put myself in a box that only I could find my way out of.

I now realize I am so much more than one craft. I am valuable as a human being on so many more levels than just one. I am a leader, I am a fighter, I am a motivational movement. I am a multitasker and an organizer. I am a friend and a love. I am awesome in so many more ways than one.

Yes, I do love writing, and yes, writing this right now is the happiest I have been all day, but I have a broad range of skills that make me marketable, adaptable, incomparable, unforgettable, and irreplaceable. Because it takes an amateur to be good at one thing, but it takes a master to be good at many.