“A jack of all trades is a master of none,
but oftentimes better than a master of one.”
The other day, a dear friend told me she felt dejected, “I’m a jack of all trades and a master of none.”
I asked, “Do you know the rest of the quote?”
She said, “No.”
So I told her.
She said, “Ahmmmm.”
Society loves boxes, and most of us are happy to stay inside them
or snip out the ‘inconvenient’ parts, just like in the saying above.
Anyone who dares to step out is often deemed unsuccessful.
This friend of mine is one of the bravest women I know.
She uprooted her life and built a new one in a completely new city,
at an age when others are thinking of early retirement.
She learnt a new language, new routes, built new relationships.
I go to her whenever I need advice from an elder sister.
She’s an empathetic listener, radiates calm in a world that’s constantly rushing,
and somehow makes everything feel possible.
She’s an awesome baker.
She is my go-to person for organising events without stress or drama.
And though I’ve lived in Chennai longer than her,
she knows the right people, the right places, and somehow always gets things done.
Sometimes, I think she has a magic satchel from which she pulls out invisible tools to make the world a better place.
And yet, she feels inadequate and unsuccessful.
*But what really defines success?*
To me, she is successful, fiercely independent, creating her own path, on her own terms.
So to anyone who feels “not enough,” give yourself a pat on the back.
Success can’t be measured by checklists or neatly wrapped in gold paper with a red ribbon.
Success is how we live our life – every messy, magical bit of it.
Success is the grey-haired, bespectacled woman who’s a jack of all trades… and wonderfully good at it.