Embracing Your Multiple Streams of Passion

Embracing Your Multiple Streams of Passion
Are you someone who has many interests? Do you like to read
and write, fix and invent, design projects and start
businesses, and many other things all at once? If so, then
you are a multiple-streams-of-passion person. "And" is your
favorite word. You feel limited by the word "or,"
uncomfortable when you need to narrow down choices, and
absolutely revolted by the command, "Pick one."

Multiple-streams-of-passion people love to do it all. They
like choice. They like to follow their own direction. They
like the flexibility and freedom of going from one thing to
the next. The only problem is most
multiple-streams-of-passion people don't make any money
this way. They flounder in careers and languish in their
professional lives. That's because they haven't learned how
to work with their passion.

Multiple-streams-of-passion people are labeled, none too
kindly, as "jacks-of-all-trades, masters of none." They are
criticized for pursuing so many directions. They are
misunderstood when they resist making decisions or choosing
a direction. More often then not, they don't choose
anything at all and feel like complete failures.

Their resume is all over the place. They leave jobs
frequently, change careers quickly, and have lots of extra
training in seemingly unrelated disciplines. On the
surface, they seem like dabblers who have little commitment
to anything.

That's because people with multiple streams of passion are
generalists, not specialists. Though they are most likely
very passionate about what they are doing at the time,
being focused on just one thing will not sustain their
passion. People with many passionate interests spend a lot
of time scanning the horizon, wondering what's on the other
side of the fence, and thinking about their next move.

Of course, it is possible that you are still trying to make
up your mind about what you are going to do when you grow
up, or are truly depressed and unable to focus on any one
thing for long, or have bona fide ADD and are easily
distracted. Otherwise, consider that you might be someone
with multiple streams of passion-possibly a budding
polymath.

Seven Famous Polymaths

A polymath (poh'-lee-math) is someone with encyclopedic,
broad, and varied knowledge or learning in several
different fields of study. Being a polymath (a.k.a. a
Renaissance man or woman, a universal man, a whiz kid, or a
geek) is actually a tremendous attribute.

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) is one of the most famous
polymaths. He was a scientist, mathematician, engineer,
inventor, anatomist, painter, sculptor, architect,
musician, and writer.

Before him was Claudius Ptolemy (90-168) who was a Greek
mathematician, geographer, astronomer, and astrologer.

Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) was recognized as an
artist, author, counselor, dramatist, linguist, natural
historian, philosopher, physician, poet, political
consultant, visionary, and composer.

Gottfried Leibniz (1646-1716) made significant
contributions in physics, logic, history, librarianship,
philosophy, and theology, while also working on ideal
languages, mechanical clocks, and mining machinery.

Mary Somerville (1780-1872) wrote on astronomy,
mathematics, physics, chemistry, mineralogy, and geology.

Andrei Sakharov (1921-1989) was a brilliant nuclear
physicist, human rights campaigner, and fearless advocate
for international understanding and world peace.

Umberto Eco (b. 1932) is a modern polymath. He is an
Italian medievalist, semiotician, philosopher, expert in
pop culture, and a novelist.

Top Five Things Multiple-Streams-of-Passion People (MSPPs)
Can Learn From Polymaths

Although being a polymath is somewhat different from being
a person with multiple streams of passion--somewhat akin to
the difference between a genius and a very smart
person--polymathy is a great model for
multiple-streams-of-passion people to embrace.

1.Polymaths are terminally curious. That's a fantastic
quality to have as an MSPP.

2.Polymaths read widely in and move freely across the
boundaries of divergent and not-always-complementary
disciplines. The natural tendency to do so is often what
brings about the formulation of brilliant discoveries, new
applications, and luminous collaborations.

3.Polymaths have the ability to focus on a given topic for
a long period-that is, as long as is necessary to learn
what they need to know. Then they move on. This powerful
focus is not to the exclusion of everything else. Rather,
it is a stepping-stone to the next thing they will explore.
This is a great perspective to keep in mind for MSPPs.

4.Polymaths are fantastic synthesizers. They can bring
together seemingly disparate ideas and thoughts in
remarkable ways.

5.Polymaths excel at generating ideas. They think
conceptually first. This is good to keep in mind the next
time your friend, boss, co-worker, or partner throws his or
her hands up exasperatedly, saying, "I have no idea how you
got from there to here." Just smile and say, "Because I'm a
polymath, of course!"

By learning from the polymaths, you can turn your multiple
streams of passion into both financial success and personal
fulfillment. If daVinci could do it, so can you.

----------------------------------------------------
Susan L Reid, MS, DMA, Small Business Start Up Coach,
Consultant & Accidental Pren-her? is the soon-to-be author
of Discovering Your Inner Samurai. She provides value,
inspiration and direction for entrepreneurial women
starting up and launching small businesses. For ideas and
start up tips, visit http://SuccessfulSmallBizOwners.com .
For inspiration and community, go to
http://susanreid.typepad.com