I’m seeing all the more need to get good at whatever I do in life. I can’t just be mediocre. After all, the world as we know it has been progressing into specialisation. Careers are specialised, businesses and industries are niche. Simply think of the medical field, we have doctors and experts in so many different fields, oncology, specific body parts, trauma, the list goes on. If you’re not specialised, you’re no good. Or so it seems.
As a person without a degree – and especially in an education driven society like Singapore – it can feel like I’m left behind in this rat race. I do find myself often comparing myself with others. Perhaps I’m not smart or good enough. I don’t have any specialisation you see. But I need to remember purpose.
Recently I’ve been reading a book called Range by David Epstein, and I like the word used on the cover: Generalist. I like the ring to it and the meaning behind it; a person who is competent in several different fields or activities. I shall adopt it for myself. I’m halfway through it now, but what I’m gleaning from it is that to be successful we need to develop range and move away from narrow specialisation. It calls to example late starters who were successful, such as Van Gogh, who seemed to have tried his hand at (specialising in) everything but failed miserably. From the start he couldn’t even draw properly. Yet in today’s world most people would have heard of his name and his works such as The Starry Night, even if we’re not into art or painting.
I chose not to pursue a degree for various reasons. Firstly I didn’t want to amass unnecessary debt for myself. Also I wasn’t really sure what I would want to do in university other than music (which I have neither credentials nor sufficient skills to get myself enrolled) After finishing my diploma, I realised how important it is to actually enjoy what you are studying and not just put yourself through it for the sake. I was miserable in my 3 years of tertiary studies then. Lastly due to life’s course, with National Service and my decision to go to missions, it seems like going to university would set me up for a very delayed start in “life”. Hence I chose to work instead, and thankfully was given a chance at a corporate job (though I must say I’m not fully enjoying it, but I guess this is life).
So purpose.
While I need to get better at my job, I need to remember purpose. What exactly am I placed on this earth for. I’m still not entirely sure, but I arrive at this conclusion: my priority for now is to develop my musicianship. Life does not get simpler as we get along, in fact it gets more complicated. We have to constantly relearn to come back to what’s truly important. When our plates pile up with many things, what are the essentials to keep and the non essentials to drop off (The term essential and non essential has been coming up a lot)
The thing is we have a finite number of days and hours on this earth and are we making the most of it? As I begin to see my life more in terms of seasons, I know I’m not in this forever. Hence with the time I have and in this station of life I need to make them count. While I don’t aim to specialised in the work I do, I need to recognise that I still need to be good at what I do. Everyone’s a “consultant” these days but do we really know our stuff? For the things we don’t know very well, we need to get a better grasp.
In May, I joined a Hangout call with the church back in Ukraine and we had a guest speaker with us. One whom I have enjoyed hearing preach in church on a few occasions in Singapore. This time round he was close, among just 8 of us, bringing an intimate word around the epidemic situation. The message talked about the Israelites who wandered in the desert for 40 years for what could have been an eleven day journey to reach the promised land. If you know the story, none of the people (other than Joshua and Caleb) of that generation entered in. The moral of the story is simple: Don’t take too long to learn what you need to learn. Don’t make an eleven day journey, a 40-year one. We don’t have time to waste!
This pastor also spoke of new beginnings and discovering yourself anew. He spoke of Moses who had many new beginnings; prince of Egypt, to a murderer, then a shepherd, a stutterer before Pharaoh , and the deliverer of the Israelites. He also spoke of Peter, who was a fisherman, then a disciple, a betrayer, the head of the new testament church, to finally, a martyr. This kind of ties in with my point above about having range and Vincent Van Gogh. The thing is you can still rediscover a “new you” at 40. Always wanted to write a book? It’s not too late to start. Want to quit that dead-end job to pursue a dream. Why not?
It’s a good time to stop, pause and reflect on what are things you need to drop out of your life to focus on what is essential in your life. And to get good at whatever it is. Don’t take too long to learn what we need to. Don’t procrastinate. Also, that it’s okay if we haven’t really figured it out in life yet. Who “makes it” anyways? We can yet discover a new “us”, even when we think “we’re way past that”.
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