What if the saying “Jack of all trades, master of most” is closer to the truth than we’ve ever realized?
We’ve all heard the saying, “Jack of all trades, master of none,” but what if we’ve been getting it wrong all along? What if some people are simply wired to excel at more than one thing? To learn, adapt and thrive in different spaces, not because they’re confused, but because that’s just who they are.
Have you ever had one of those evenings where you finally get home after a long, stressful day, throw yourself on the couch and just… think? Think about life. Think about how fast everything is moving. Think about the rain that soaked your clothes because Lagos weather decided to have a mind of its own. The muddy roads that somehow know exactly where your clean white shoes or outfits are. The Bolt or inDrive driver who turned your 20-minute ride into a motivational seminar you never asked for.
Then, somehow, your mind drifts somewhere completely different. Talent. Not just talent. People who are ridiculously talented. You know the kind of people I’m talking about. The ones who can sing, write, design, cook, sew, edit videos, speak in public, take amazing photographs and still somehow manage to be good at their 9-5.
They’re the kind of people who make you wonder if God accidentally gave them someone else’s portion. And if we’re being honest, many of us are those people.
Maybe Jack of all trades isn’t an insult after all
We’ve all heard the saying, “Jack of all trades, master of none,” but I’ve never really agreed with it. Maybe the saying needs an update. Maybe it’s actually… “Jack of all trades, master of most.” Because there are genuinely people who become really good at almost everything they touch. The funny thing is that many of them didn’t even plan it. Life simply happened.
At one point, they were makeup artists, then they learnt tailoring, somewhere along the way, they became photographers, they picked up graphic design, started a YouTube channel, hosted events, learnt digital marketing, tried content creation, became excellent writers, started learning AI. Before they knew it, they had accumulated an entire toolbox of skills, not because they couldn’t focus, but because they genuinely enjoyed learning.
Life has a funny way of interrupting dreams
Sometimes you start something with all the passion in the world, you buy the tools, take the classes, get really good at it, people even start paying for your services. Then life happens. NYSC, a new job, relocation, marriage, school, responsibilities, bills. Suddenly, the thing you loved becomes the thing you no longer have time for. Not because you stopped loving it. Life simply demanded something else. Years later, you randomly remember that you actually knew how to sew, or bake, or make beautiful gele, or edit videos, or bead jewelry, or take breathtaking photographs. You laugh and ask yourself, “Wait… I actually used to do this?”
The biggest struggle isn’t lack of talent, it’s consistency
Let’s be honest, for many people, the problem isn’t talent, it’s consistency. How can one person have so many gifts and still struggle to consistently use them? How can someone genuinely enjoy ten different things and somehow end up procrastinating on all ten? It’s funny until you realize how many people are silently dealing with this. Sometimes it’s not even laziness. It’s overwhelm. Sometimes it’s burnout, sometimes it’s survival, and sometimes, life simply gets loud. So loud that your gifts become background noise.
Then one day you wake up and wonder, “What exactly am I doing with all the things God has blessed me with?” It’s a difficult question. One many people quietly ask themselves.
Some dreams never really leave us
One thing I’ve noticed is that dreams have a funny way of staying alive. They may become quiet, but they rarely disappear. Someone who once dreamt of becoming a lawyer still gets excited watching courtroom dramas. Another person still imagines themselves reading the news on national television. Someone else still secretly believes they’d make an incredible actor if only one producer would notice them. Another person still believes they could host a show, or become a filmmaker, or write a bestselling book. Those dreams don’t die easily. Life just teaches us to keep them somewhere safe while we focus on surviving.
But every now and then, they find their way back into our thoughts. Almost as if they’re reminding us, “I’m still here.”
Please choose your mentors wisely
Speaking of dreams… Can we talk about mentors for a second? Not every successful person is meant to mentor you, and that’s okay. Stop forcing relationships with people who clearly don’t have the capacity, or the willingness to guide you. If someone constantly makes you feel like you’re disturbing them… Leave. If they make you feel like your dreams are too small… Leave. If every conversation with them leaves you feeling inadequate instead of inspired… Please leave.
Mentorship shouldn’t feel like you’re begging to be noticed. The right mentor won’t necessarily hand you success, but they’ll make you believe success is possible. There’s a huge difference.
Maybe you’re not confused, maybe you’re just multi-passionate.
Society has taught us that we’re supposed to find one thing and stick to it forever, but what if that’s not how everyone is wired? What if some people are naturally curious? What if they’re designed to learn, evolve and explore different paths? What if having multiple interests isn’t a weakness? What if it’s actually a gift? Maybe the challenge isn’t having too many passions, maybe it’s learning how to bring them together. After all, photography teaches storytelling, storytelling improves marketing, marketing strengthens branding, branding opens doors for public speaking, writing improves communication. One skill quietly strengthens another. Nothing is ever wasted.
So, what’s the point of all this?
Maybe you’ve started ten things and finished only three. Maybe there are dreams you’ve put on hold because life had other plans. Maybe there are talents you’ve ignored for years, or maybe you’re still trying to figure out which version of yourself is the “real” one.
Here’s the truth, you don’t have to choose just one thing to be. Life isn’t always that straightforward. You can evolve. You can change careers. You can rediscover old passions. You can become excellent at something new. Most importantly, don’t let guilt stop you from returning to the things that once made you feel alive. Who knows? That hobby you abandoned years ago might become the opportunity you’ve been praying for.
So if you’re one of those people who has worn many hats, learnt countless skills and still feels like there’s more inside you… Welcome to the club. Maybe you’re not a jack of all trades, master of none after all. Maybe you’re simply a master of more than you realize, jack of all trade, master of most.
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