There is a thought that has been on mind for a while, and it’s especially relevant at the beginning of a new school year in September.
If I would have to make a 45-minute speech in front of a classroom today, what would I say?
Of course, it’s quite narcissistic and egoistic thought, because why would anyone want to listen to some average guy talking at all? But I try to leave that nuance on a side.
What would my speech be about?
Should I copy classic speeches? Or copy the ones that have highly influenced me: Steve Jobs, Charlie Munger and the famous speech about wearing a sunscreen (I still struggle to wear it)?

My speech shouldn’t be too broad with ideas from all kinds of fields, nor too long-winded. It has to concentrate on one subject but has to be interesting to listen too.
If I would write it down, it would basically be like a 5000 words long blog post.
With a little remark – it has to be the essential one. The one where I share the most important and the most beneficial knowledge I have learned in my life. Something I wish someone told me when I was in their age.
But you see, I can’t even manage to find a niche for my personal blog.
I don’t know if I should write about
That’s why the blogger here is a typical average guy – I know something about many things but nothing completely enough to give a great 45-minute speech.
A month ago this would have been a very melancholic end for my beautiful thought and to this post.
But not today!
I found that there are people like me. And giving speeches!
You see:
The video gave me a huge motivation and uplift. I found that there are many people like me who struggle to choose what they want to do with their life and can’t find their one true calling. There is nothing wrong with me!
And instead of calling myself average, I can now proudly state that I might be multipotentialite. (Should I go change the name of my blog?)
There is even a quiz to see if you are one.
I eagerly continued reading more about the topic and found another term to describe similar people – creative generalist. There is a very optimistic article about generalists published in Harvard Business Review, where they state that the future might belong to generalists, not specialists. The same view is complemented by an article in Forbes.
And if not in the future, then in the past the world was definitely ruled by “general” men with skills in very different areas of life. They were called very nobly – Renaissance Man – a person whose expertise spans a significant number of various subject areas, also called polymath.
Yes, Leonardo da Vinci is a perfect sample for person like this.
So, problem solved? No need to worry about passions anymore?
Well, there is a fine difference between being a polymath and being an inactive indecisive lazy guy.
Leonardo da Vinci mastered so many skills because of all the work he put in. Yes, at this time science was not so developed and it was easier to be expert in many fields, but it’s not like he just sat there and enjoyed his life watching stars.
Work still has to be done. Passion still has to be followed. Just there can be more than one of them. And it’s okay if they change over time.
And later after working in different fields and having skills from a wide range of areas, it might be possible to “connect the dots”. To find something where all the past learnings can be used for one purpose.
Steve Jobs said in his speech: “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.”
Hope I can do the same with my learned skills one day.
So, is Ordinary Mart now multipotentialite and not average anymore?
Don’t get me wrong, I am still the same average guy. Just much more optimistic one.
I know now that there are more ways to conquer the mediocrity than choosing only one profession. I might not need to be in 1% in 1 field to feel successful. To be in the top 10% in 3 fields could be much more useful overall.
And when I would have an opportunity to give a speech in school one day, I believe this is what I will talk about. To encourage students to do different things, try everything out and not to feel guilty if they don’t know what exactly they want to do with your life.
What do you think, would it be more useful to be specialist or generalist?
Now, there are some books in my reading list about the topic:
- Refuse to Choose!: Use All of Your Interests, Passions, and Hobbies to Create the Life and Career of Your Dreams Paperback by Barbara Sher https://www.amazon.com/Refuse-Choose-Interests-Passions-Hobbies/dp/1594866260
- Find Your Why: A Practical Guide for Discovering Purpose for You and Your Team Paperback – by Simon Sinek https://www.amazon.com/Find-Your-Why-Practical-Discovering/dp/0143111728
- How to Be Everything: A Guide for Those Who (Still) Don’t Know What They Want to Be When They Grow Up Paperback by Emilie Wapnick https://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Everything-Guide-Those/dp/0062566660/