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The same man cannot well be skilled in everything: each has his special excellence.

-EURIPIDES (455-441 BC)

People who have lived for more than two thousand years ago already knew it and have been trying to reach us through their words of wisdom, by which they found out in their own experiences of a lifetime. But how many of us actually listened? If I may to add to Euripides’ quote, I would like it to be “The same man cannot well be skilled in everything: each has his special excellence. May he choose it wisely and let it be one which he loves.”

Jack knew a little of everything but was a master of none, that means that in every profession that he choose to be in, he is of little value as he barely scratched the surface of his trade. The usual advice? Don’t be a Jack of all trade, but be a master of one.

Truth to speak, how many of us have become a master of what we love to do best?

I comprehend that perhaps 7 or 8 people of 10 would be nodding their heads now, and why? These are people who have chosen to work in a trade or career which they have no interest in, it’s just a bread job and to pay the bills. I was once part of the crowd who nodded his head with a little guilt and sense of helplessness in my chest which would have tightened by now. It happens when truth has been exposed and the mask has to be taken off for a short while. Are we doomed to spend the rest of our lives doing what we are doing even if it is not our greatest love? Not really.

There are two solutions that research from many great people in the past have been hinting us, now it’s time for us to save those who are stuck in this trap. However, first of all, if you have no way of escaping the trap, learn to love what you are doing anyway. We can’t offer any more advice than that if one can’t make change, many times it happens. What about the other alternative? It would be this. If you are a Jack of many trades, and is currently stuck in a career you do not love and which you have already been a master of one skill, good news. You don’t have to stay in it just because you are so good at it.

It is a matter of looking which career you really wanted and how you want to live your life. You already have that one skill which you are a master of and you have a variety of other skills you are just a novice at, what matters now is just to combine them together and make it into another skill which fits your dream career and lifestyle. Sounds too easy and not convinced? Try this.

How would a master baker who doesn’t like to bake but really wanted to be a cook do? He didn’t know how to cook, he only knew how to bake delicious bread very well. Imagine for a second, what could he do to make the switch? Here’s one way, he could be a cook who specializes in culinary which unique selling point is that every dish would have some delicious bread in it. Perhaps by this unique concept, he could not only get a good job as a cook but even be able to start a new trend if he opens his own restaurant. I am sure you have thought of some other ways as well, let your imagination run wild of the possibilities in your mind. Some might say this is too close an example, let’s find another one which is much more an unlikely match.

Years ago, there was a depressed janitor who didn’t know what he wanted to do in life and had no skills whatsoever. Perhaps if that was a skill he had, that was doing a good job as a janitor. When he made up his mind what he wanted to be, he went for it. Today, he’s one of the world’s top motivational speakers. His name is Anthony Robbins. What if he stayed on as a janitor in the past and never decided to become who he became? Anthony might not be able to help and touch the lives of millions of people in the world as he did already, and many more to come in the future.

Another example. This person’s first job was at Macdonald’s and later on worked for 300 gigs as a comedian so that he could fill in when other comedians took vacations. Today, he’s one of the most valuable hosts in the world on television, his name? Jay Leno. He found what he loved to do even though he wasn’t good at it at first and did what he loved to do until he became a master of that which he loved to do.

There will be many of such stories to come in other writings but for now, it is this lesson which we wish to pass on to you. No matter where you are at right now, if you are not doing that which you love to do, look into ways of transferring your skills into that career or hobby you would love to do for a long time. Are you someone like the Anthony Robbins or Jay Leno in your field in the making too? There is only one way to find out.

If you can, take the plunge into doing what you love to do.

If you haven’t decided what you wanted to do or what skills you need to become not only good, but great in your chosen field with your current skill-sets, ask the people around you who know you well. They will be a good source of answer. If not, you can contact us and we might be able to help.

Choose wisely and may your life be fruitful…not just any fruits but with the fruits you love to eat.