The difficulty in picking one thing

Humans are complicated creatures. We were never built to be one-dimensional; instead, we were made to enjoy all different kinds of music. We were made to see beauty in all varieties of faces. We have evolved to love a great many hobbies, and people, and places, and flavors, and words, and colors.

I am no exception. I have always been known to have a foot in every door of whatever’s going on, whether that’s a high school sport, a community theater program, a college service organization, an independent musical group, or even a student journal. I love to be involved and working alongside others. It provides a sense of belonging, a place where we can find fellowship with those who share similar interests.

But because of this natural depth in humanity, I have often been met with the frustration of either feeling or being told that I should only pick one thing to specialize in. One skill set to perfect for a vocation.

How could I possibly pick just one?

I love to read, write, and edit.

I love to draw, design, and create.

I love to sing, play, and listen.

I love to hike, camp, and shoot.

I love to run, lift, and train.

I love to watch, predict, and analyze.

I love to clean, organize, and renovate.

The list goes on, but I believe my point has been illustrated. There isn’t one specialized vocation (outside of motherhood – one of the most honorable callings I believe we can have in this life) that encompasses all of these interests.

What I think I’ve misconstrued about specialization is the notion that I can’t continue to be multi-faceted or multi-dimensional once I’ve decided on my profession, when that is far from the truth. I’m coming to learn that what the world is really asking of me is to look at where my talents lie and embrace the strongest ones to make the greatest difference. There is still room for me to love more than one thing.

I’ll be straight with you: when I first started college, I pursued education with the conclusion that I would be married before I graduated with my undergrad degree, and that my academic background would (as statistics have proven) serve more to benefit my future children than a paid career. Approaching education from this perspective, I wasn’t too concerned about narrowing down and specializing in one skill set.

It’s been hard to accept that this ideal is not the path set before me as I get closer and closer to graduation without having met the love of my life. The vision I’ve always had for my future – high school, college, family – isn’t panning out exactly how I had expected. I’ve had to reassess my goals, define other ways I can be an influence for good, and reinvest in my strengths from a new perspective.

One of the best things about my undergrad experience over the past three years has been the unending lesson in patience. I am becoming more patient in learning my class materials, working when I don’t always want to, dating people who don’t always treat me well, and accepting where I am at in my life.

It used to feel a little backward to try to accept where I was when it didn’t always make me happy, but now I know how empowering it is to forgive yourself for not being where you expected to.

Once you let go of past expectations, letdowns, failures, and disappointments, you have the materials to start fresh and get to work without that weight sitting on your shoulders.

I’m finding my specialty, and it excites me to see my daily progress.

Today, for example, I’m celebrating the launch of my brand-new digital portfolio website, which has been under construction for the past five months. Cheers to my portfolio for finally, finally being done! Here’s to creating my place, fostering patience in the process, and remembering that while my career may only cater to a few areas of my interests, I have every capacity to continue to be multi-dimensional.