Jack Of All Trades, Master Of None

We’ve all heard the saying, “Jack of all trades, master of none”. It implies that by trying to learn many things, you give up mastering any of them. And that’s what I want to talk about today. It’s good to be well rounded; trust me, the more knowledge we can gain about anything and everything, the better. However; when focusing on a career path, most of us choose one degree at a time. If later on we opt to keep studying, we pick up another. You may say, no wait, I know of people who graduated with two degrees. That is true and actually happened to me; I double- majored as I’m sure others have too and let me tell you,  it is hard work! Those who have done it can say it took A LOT of hard work and focus; and in many cases, both majors usually complement each other. However; for the most part, we generally just tend to focus on one field of expertise. We do this because all of our focus and attention deserves to be directed to a specific area. If you want to be the best doctor in your field; you can’t focus on engineering, accounting, Computer IT  or psychology ALL at the same time. You’re not going to be the very best that you can be because you will be too busy focusing on other things and not the main thing. Make sense?

Same goes with life, some people want to be in every single thing they can get their hands on without first mastering one yet. And I get it, we all want the experience, or we want to better ourselves but we must never lose sight of the direction we are going in life. We can get easily side-tracked with so many options that present itself to us as an opportunity, which then leaves our real passion or purpose unattended. Side note: Not every opportunity is a good fit for you-at the time. So, be conscious and choose wisely! Commit to the things that will help you grow and will propel you to do bigger and better things within your wheelhouse, your sweet spot, your calling, your purpose. If you’re called to be a speaker, why not invest your time (and money) in resources that will help you in that area. If your passion is to be a business owner, invest in learning the ins and outs of what it takes to build a business from the ground up. Don’t focus your time or energy on things that will not edify your business endeavors. Am I saying you can’t have a hobby or we can't spend time doing something other than our purpose or calling? Of course not, there's a time for everything, just make sure to invest the majority of your time in your purpose. Remember that the more time you invest in your craft; the better you will be at it. Preparation is imperative in anything we do in life. I can just hear my husband saying this, “Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance.” And it’s true.

So many times, we become jack of all trades (we are business doctors that sell real estate and bankers who give out the loans to contractors because we also build houses, while we have a daycare and a music studio, we are also attorneys and judges, and cops, and writers, and speakers, and preachers, and pastors, and artists, poets, and singers, producers and nurses and hairstylist, designers, photographer, fitness trainer, sales, ice-cream truck drivers and every other occupation in the book. We are all of that and if we see someone else doing something tomorrow, we jump on the wagon and become that too. We want to be all of the above in fear of missing out on the next big thing, not realizing that we indeed are missing the BIG THING- God's intended plan for our lives. 

Ask yourself today, where is God leading me? What has He asked me to do? Where has He asked me to go? Might it be perhaps that you are seeking after your own heart’s desire and not God’s? He has placed a dream in your heart, it’s His dream and if you focus on what He wants you to become, you can eliminate all the excess clutter that want to invade your space. Focus on one thing, master it and be great at it. Then focus on another thing, master it and be great at it. Take the time to learn and cultivate that gift. Don’t focus on 50 things because you won’t master any of it, you may be good at them but you won’t be great. And whatever you do in life and for God, do it great because He is the giver of your talents and He deserves nothing but the very best from you.

Be Encouraged, Be Blessed!

Landy Perez-Feliciano ♥

Steps

The first quarter of 2014 is over.

Today we embark a new quarter, a new month, a new day. Looking back on the first three months of the year, how would you evaluate it? Are you proud of your accomplishments? Did you set short term goals and meet them? It’s important to acknowledge small achievements and celebrate your progress, even if it’s one step at a time. Why? Because you’re one step closer to where you envisioned yourself to be. No one can desire it more than you. No one can see the vision as clear as you can. No one can want it more than you. People can help carry out the vision for you, they can assist you in accomplishing your dreams but ultimately it falls on you because the dream is yours not theirs. Everyone has a place they’re trying to get to, everyone has a destination assigned to them, and everyone will be focused on their individual journey.

Image by Designated Disaster

So, as we enter a new phase of the year 2014, I ask you to re-evaluate your life and where it's headed. Ask the core questions that will give you clear and concise answers, because those answers will shed light in areas that are still darkened with doubt and confusion. Have the mindset of a champion that is focused and determined to make it to the end victoriously. Only you know how far you want to go. Only you know where you’re meant to be. We all have a purpose in this life and God is the one who reveals and pin points every detail of our lives. If you’re in sync with Him, you’re on the right path to living a purposeful life.

Beware of the roadblocks and detours that will try to redirect your path. Your path may be under construction and you may have to be redirected into an unfamiliar path but if you’re tuned in and focused to what God has for you, then you will arrive to the right place, at the right time and the right people will be waiting for you. Otherwise, you will end up lost, perhaps in a remote area or even in a place where you do not fit because that's not where you are suppose to be.

When in the correct path, be in expectation of what lies ahead, for God has prepared your grand arrival. You will not have to seek others; they will have already know of you and will be waiting with open arms for you. Everything you need will have already been provided. All of the resources and connections will be at your disposal and granted to you. All you need to do is arrive!

When we are obedient to the voice of the Lord and we walk in His perfect will and not ours, these treasures are made available to us. Psalm 37:23 declares that a man's steps are established by the LORD, and He takes pleasure in his way. Proverbs 16: 9 says that we can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps. And Proverbs 20:24 states that the LORD directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?

I say all of that to say this, our life is not our own, to God we belong. Our steps are ordered by Him, our plans are to be submitted by Him and our lives are to be directed by Him. He is the orchestrator of it all. When we are obedient to His ways, His path, and His future for us, we become victorious and successful in all that we do, and everywhere that we go. The bible says that He takes pleasure in the steps that He establishes for us because He is so excited for us to see His grand plan for us. Can you imagine, following God’s lead and at the end, when we reach the place where He intended us to arrive at, He’s like: “ta-ra… This is what I had planned for you all along!” I can only imagine because our thoughts are not His thoughts and if I think BIG, He thinks B.I.G.G.E. R. !!!

Trust His Ways • Trust His Path • Trust His Promises

Be Encouraged, Be Blessed!

Landy Perez-Feliciano ♥