Author: esbee

“A Jack of all trades is master of none…”

For a good portion of my early life, I lamented the fact that I never had “a thing” that was mine. You know those people – they are the subject matter experts in any given area. They spend a lifetime honing their craft, learning their skill, becoming the absolute best they could possibly be in their area of expertise.

And then there’s me. Don’t get me wrong. I had “things.” Many things. My interests are varied and I wanted to experience it all. A quick reminisce casts me as Dancer, Singer, Bass Player, Long Distance Cyclist, Chinese Linguist, Longbow Archer, Drummer, Avid Reader (it counts!), Technical Writer, Licensed Acupuncturist, Harpist, Harmonium Player, Systems Engineer, and so on. With constant jumping from interest to interest, there was no opportunity to become an expert, to evolve “that thing.” My level of expertise continues to vary wildly with each subject. There are some areas in which I am decently competent – other areas in which I’ll keep my talents to a very small audience (me and my dog, bless her heart.)

The one thing that runs true with every interest I’ve had: I’ve had to start as a beginner. I’ve become very comfortable with being a beginner. In fact, I’d go so far as to say there is a bit of freedom in being easy with learning something new. There’s no pressure for perfection, no expectation of expertise. Ironically, I think this beginner’s perspective sans pressure makes the task/adventure of learning much easier and, in doing so, creates a nice environment for retention.

I’ve since learned the rest of the quote:

“A Jack of all trades is master of none, and oftentimes better than a master of one.”

I’ll take it.

This morning as I was walking Margie, with her busily content to sniff all the new smells unearthed by the recent landscaping efforts, I allowed myself a moment to look upward into the canopy of the towering oaks that live in our backyard. Although the temperature was a bit warm for the end of October, there was a nice bite to the breeze, heralding the coming of cooler weather. With each little gust, I was mesmerized by the leaves falling from the trees. It was all so easy. The leaves had served their purpose and the trees were gently letting them go. Even the journey from the tops of the trees to the ground was easy. The leaves did that back and forth slow topple to the ground you see in movies sometimes. Now, I know it’s not always like that. Sometimes trees lose their leaves in violent winds and storms. But it occurs to me that it’s like that for people as well.

Sometimes we’re forced to let go of things, people, ideas, etc. under duress. And – what if we consciously culled what needs to be let go as an everyday practice? What if it was that easy? Just let those things fall from our lives like those leaves in slow topple. Would we be able to navigate those storms easier because we had already let go of our leaves? I think of so much in my life that I’ve held on to – for a whole myriad of reasons (possessions, friends who aren’t friends, excess weight) – and feel so inspired right now to just let it all go.

In Chinese Medicine, the Fall is associated with the metal element. The energy is all about letting go of what no longer serves. Funnily enough, the two organ systems associated with this time are the Large Intestine and the Lungs. What is the Large Intestine for but to literally get rid of what no longer serves our body? And the Lungs? Inhalation, the act of in-spiring. No wonder I’m feeling so inspired.