We all love
a little story sometimes, don’t we? Well, one has grown up listening to all
kinds of stories after all. If it is a success story, it is all the more
better. We usually are curious to know about the success stories of others so
as to find something in theirs that would lead us to our success. We try and
follow their path in order to find our own calling. We have all heard of Isaac
Newton, Elvis Presley, Socrates, Picasso, Einstein, Nelson Mandela, the list could just go
on and on. These were the people who found their true calling and worked for it
and the result is that they shall always be remembered for their work in their
specific fields. But my question here is, what if we never find our calling?
How many times
has this happened that you have taken up something and you keep doing it till
you can do it almost correctly and then you get bored of it? And then you take
up something else, you start it with the same enthusiasm and again you end up
wanting to try something else since you have learnt how it works? People like
these may often doubt themselves, moreover, they start getting insecure
regarding what do they actually intend to do in life!
People may
start wondering about their level of commitment towards a particular thing,
their interest, their capabilities, even whether they are normal or not. Well, I
for one, think that these people are not to be blamed, the society is. We are
often made to believe that we should have the right amount of focus and
dedication on a particular thing to excel in it, and if done otherwise, the
person is condemned of being “Incapable” to live a happy and a successful life.
Speaking of a successful life, let me tell you about a person who was a
graduate and started studying Mathematics and physics at the Imperial College,
London. Later on he became more interested in music and started his own band
along with other members, simultaneously studying for a PhD Degree, as he never
lost interest in this field as well. Soon after his band got international
success, he abandoned his studies and worked for the band. This was about Brian
May from the band “Queen”, an English musician, song writer, guitarist and an
astrophysicist. One may call him “Multitalented”, but psychologists prefer the
term “Multipotentialite”.
A Multipotentialite is a person who can do well
in more than just one field. Their interests and abilities are not narrowed to
just one particular field, unlike the “Specialists”, who devote themselves to
just one field. Brian May was a multipotentialite, but we rarely hear about people
like these. A prominent person to join this list is Viggo Mortenson, the guy
who played the role of Aragorn in the
famous Lord of The Rings Trilogy series.
He is an actor, singer, poet, musician, photographer and a painter! Now, that
is something! All this coming from a
single person seems quite fascinating! It’s
like having all this knowledge up your sleeve, of the different things and how
they work that you can choose to use whatever you feel like using at a given
point of time. Feels like a “Superpower”, doesn’t it? It can be, if used
properly. Just like the two sides of the same coin, Multipotentiality can be a
boon or a bane; it all depends on how we deal with it. It is up to us to know
what suits us best amongst all these interests. And it is also very important
to not lose ourselves in this. Let this be a way for finding creative solutions
by applying one's knowledge of various disciplines, since people like these can
widen their horizons and help change the world by adapting to its
needs. This not only helps them to be Successful but also helps them to change
the world in ways we can’t even imagine!
In my
opinion everybody has a different success story, we need to create our own.
People shouldn’t measure your success, don’t even let them. It’s only you who
should. There is no standard way of achieving it; everybody comes through their
own ways. What worked for someone else, might not work for you. Create your own
way. Define your own terms of a “Successful life”. If only that means a good
health, a comfortable home, a passion to follow, a hobby to pursue or as simple
as having something worthwhile to share and pass onto others. No one has ever
figured out the right way to live life anyway, so why not do all that we can,
while we can!
I would like to quote a few
lines from Robert Frost’s famous poetry, The
Road Not Taken.
“I shall be telling this with a sigh,
Somewhere
ages and ages hence,
Two roads diverged in the wood and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all
the difference.”
