Member-only story
This Thing Called Multipotentiality
What may we need if we have interests in diverse things and we want to balance them all?
An organization I was involved with once invited a multidisciplinary person from India for a talk program. After the event, while we sat for dinner, a young school student came to our table with full confidence and sat there. A few minutes later he asked the multidisciplinary person:
‘Sir, is it really possible to do multiple activities in life? Because I seem to want to do it all! When I watch cricket, I want to become a cricketer and while I hear a song, I want to become a singer. I want to be an actor as well as a computer programmer. Am I ill or is it normal?’
Everyone around either giggled or laughed. One of the teachers may have even scolded the young lad.
The multidisciplinary person thought for a while and said something like this while he chewed his food:
‘Why not! It is possible. Yes, we can do a lot of things. All we need is passion and hard work.’
There was silence for a few minutes after that.
I sat there thinking why that young guy didn’t ask me the same question. After all, I too have been trying to do many things in life! Yes, things I do may not be successful, yet I…
