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The Uncomprimisable Reality

It’s impossible to be good at everything, that goes without saying. Civilization exists partly because we moved beyond a subsistence living which allowed people to specialize so that individuals became good at different things. 

Of course we are still the same as our ancestors in that we have 24 hours in a day, 7 days a week and so on. As a result there are going to be parts of our lives that are lacking as a result. 

The most baseline would be that of necessities most of us take for granted such as utilities, food and transportation. 

Most of us don’t know how to grow our own food, build a car nor produce electricity. What we do instead is work on our own specialized professions that other people value and pay us for because we do it well enough so that we are able to exchange our labor for the stuff we can’t obtain otherwise. 

Delegation: The Compromise

Another way you can put it is that this is a form of delegating what you’re not good at to someone who is. We all have goals, big and small, reaching them requires a set of skills. One of which that was already mentioned was patience. Either in the variation of needing to do some menial task to achieve some end (ie. the student sitting and listening or the hunter waiting) or actively engaged in building some skill (guitar, public speaking). 

But again, time is finite which does not allow us to achieve what we want by having all the tools needed already in hand. As a result, just as we purchase food or buy a car from the fruits of our labor. This process of delegation is just as important on the abstract level of acquiring “human resources” so to speak (the accountant, handyman, the socially savvy) whom are good at what you aren’t and act as a compliment of your skills. 

Again, you do so by working backwards, once you have begun with the end in mind, it’s then time to find what you are good at and not so good at. This is done by pushing your mental and physical limits so that having known what you want, you can find the missing parts. In other words, seeking discomfort. 

How To Find Out

Me as an example, I spent sometime working out in the blazing sun with some Mexican field hands. Chopping down trees in the unforgiving heat/humidity which I found both mentally and physically taxing. Heck I felt close to passing out at several points. I knew I was no good at this type of work. 

I both admire and don’t envy the “real” field hands that have been doing this for many years. 

I had made a wide ranging definition of what I ultimately want some time ago. Now with some farming experience, I know I’m not cut out for it. And if I need such skills later down the road to get to where I want to go, I know I’ll need help and it will be required to delegate. 

This is merely one example, often times you don’t know things for certain unless you go in and get your hands dirty in the nitty gritty. 

Theories and prior wisdom from others is great, but in order to ride a bike as a manner of speaking, it involves you doing your own peddling. 

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About Kingston’s Journey Series: Kingston’s Journey is a lifelong series. This is the travel journal I take with me. Whether you have questions such as how to change my life or how to travel the world, I think you’ll find value in the life lessons I’ve experienced and documented in this travel notebook. They may serve as travel inspiration for you. In Chinese, there is a saying, “讀萬卷書,不如行千里路.”

This means, instead of reading ten thousand books, why don’t you walk a thousand miles. This is my inspiration to travel every nation (or as many as possible) in my pursuit of my global MBA by learning as much as possible and recording these life lessons learned only by travel. In the end, I think the achievement of dreams, personal growth & aspirations out there through travel and adventure will lead to a more fulfilling life. Living and experiencing the “now” is how I’ll make my life a great memory in the future.