Jack of All Trades

The saying goes, "A Jack of all trades, master of none". For the longest time I have had a hard time swallowing this concept.  Mainly because I still find myself attempting to put a title on my own career identity.  Now I accept it for what it is as I embrace it.  By competitive nature, I always want to be the best at what I do.  Simply because I continue to pursue different career lanes does not mean I can't be the fastest in each.

Yesterday, I allowed Vanilla Ice to entertain me for 2 straight hours.  And it wasn't because he told me to "Stop, collaborate and listen".  I seriously spent 120 minutes of my life watching 4 episodes of the Vanilla Ice Project on the DIY Network.  It is a reality television show hosted by Rob Van Winkle (Vanilla Ice), in which each episode is dedicated to renovating a new room of one mansion. Ice actually has experience with home improvement and has been flipping houses since 1990. Who knew?

As a Realtor, I feel a certain duty to watch a few hours of the DIY Network or HGTV each week.  Yesterday was Saturday, my few hours of real estate education television was already complete.  I was intrigued by the fact the same person who was once climbing to the top of Billboard charts is now climbing to the top of million dollar mansions.

When most people look at Vanilla Ice as a washed up "rapper", I applaud the man for using his brain and making me feel better about my personal career.  While Rob was on top of the world as "Ice, Ice Baby" could be heard coming from every speaker, he was expanding his self-value by educating himself in real estate.  He never became stagnant.

By not becoming one dimensional, you leave yourself the ability to adapt to certain changes.  The time will come when you are forced to modify personal characteristics and traits.  If you aren't trying to improve your self-worth every single day, you will eventually become replaceable.  This applies to all aspects of life. Work, School. Friendships. Romantic relationships.  There is a never ending list.

There is always room for growth, both vertically and horizontally.  Don't be afraid to pursue a new industry because you are afraid you won't become a "master".  You will be better off if you educate yourself in as many industries as possible rather than restrict yourself to a specific field.  I'm not patient enough to wait for the right moment or circumstance to become useful.  Rather than abide for my talents to be desired, I strive to find situations where I can be productive.

Imagine if Vanilla Ice would have sat back and "mastered" his musical talents...