The Lifestyle of a Multi-Hyphenate

Like most kids growing up, I wanted to do and be everything. One day I would want to be an astronaut. The next day I would want to be a sweet potato. To a 6-year-old, that was the life!
Growing up on my family’s farm in Tennessee, I had all the time in the world to daydream about what I wanted to do and how i would actually do it. Of course, this was in between feeding the pigs, picking corn, getting eggs from chickens, walking the horses, and chopping wood. Now that I think about it, all that work was perhaps against child labor laws. But, that’s another story for another time.
The point is, I dared to dream of a world of unlimited possibilities. Now, I know what you’re thinking. “Uh, Oh. This kid headed for the biggest reality check of his life.” But to the contrary, I still live in that world of unlimited possibilities. Based in Los Angeles, I am a working actor, entrepreneur, and a mathematician. A #mentor of mine coined the term “mentally ambidextrous,” able to use both sides of the brain at will.
What is a #mathematician doing with a degree in #acting? Well, what is an #actor doing with a degree in #mathematics? Perhaps for the same reason why an actor and mathematician went back and got a degree in #entrepreneurship.
Though initially meant as a compliment, the phrase “Jack of all trades, master of none” somehow became an insult and even a way of discrediting people interested and versed in multiple things. The complete and original saying is, “A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.” - Meet Viktor Vicsek.
Because this phrase took on an adverse meaning, those who dared to diversify their interests were often criticized. “You’re doing too much!” “Why don’t you just focus on one thing?” “Your career kinda seems all over the place.” Hearing these unwanted and unsolicited opinions over and over again have the power to inflict doubt in the most confident people. But a new era is dawning yet again.
Known by other names such a #polymath, #renaissance person, and now a #MultiHyphenate, this title is proving to be just as provocative and advantageous.
Being well-versed in multiple subjects and well-experienced, multi-hyphenates create opportunities and solve problems that perhaps would have gone unnoticed or unsolved by others. They are culture adds, compliments to any group, and deserving of the respect given to anyone else.
Not to paint this as a lifestyle of all sunshine and roses, because even Southern California gets torrential rain and storms. I want you to know that it will take extreme discipline and focus. It will often feel like you’re fighting against the ocean’s current translated as the opinions and projections of others. But guess what? Do it anyway. Embrace your polymathic mindset. Do it scared even if you must do it alone.
And when doubt inevitably starts to set in, tell yourself, “It’s OK to live a life that others don’t understand.”