Kira Day writes we all have a Story far deeper than what we appear to have on the surface. She challenges us to find our own Story, and those of the people we meet:
Often times the things folks do to make money – isn’t the same things they do to make them feel alive.
Yet…
We continue to put so much emphasis on what folks do for work, assuming that that’s where their ‘value’ is.
But is that ever a persons full story?
I know one CEO who has told me, “You can take my title but don’t take my cello.”
And another successful financial stocks trader who confided, “Money aside, art has my heart.”
People are multi-faceted.
And so it makes sense that we have multi-focuses & multi-passions.
And yet…
Todays society loves simplifying or pigeon holing folks into these slivers of themselves:
💰“The finance guy.”
👷♀️“The engineer.”
⛹️♂️“The basket ball player.”
Even though we all know that titles never tell the whole story.
In earlier societies individuals excelled in multiple disciplines…creating a culture of true polymaths, largely promoted by the societal structures & economic systems of their times.
For example…
During the Renaissance, the concept of the “Renaissance man” emerged. It was epitomized by figures like Leonardo da Vinci, who was simultaneously a successful painter, scientist, & engineer. This era valued a well-rounded education, encouraging exploration across various fields. Enabled by an economic system that facilitated multifaceted pursuits known as a form of patronage economy. Allowing individuals the freedom to explore diverse interests without the constraints of financial instability.
For example, the well known astronomer Galileo Galilei secured patronage from the Medici family. That led to his contributions in physics, astronomy, and scientific thought.
Peter Burke, Professor Emeritus of Cultural History at Cambridge, noted that this all changed with the rapid growth of knowledge, causing a social change that favoured topic specialization. Despite this trend, Burke emphasizes that polymathic individuals remain essential for synthesizing information across disciplines.
He stated, “It takes a polymath to ‘mind the gap’ and draw attention to the knowledges that may otherwise disappear into the spaces between disciplines.”
A true missing talent today in a world built on silos that is proving to be a challenge.
This is one of the reasons that when I meet folks for the first time it can be an intense experience.
Because I want to know the full story of a person.
I want to hear about the stuff outside of roles.
About the violin lessons that led to an obsession with chord G – and what it all means mathematically.
These are the stories that interest me.
And the things that we can’t skip over.
Because I do believe that somewhere deep within our hearts, we are all polymaths.
So while yes, life professions are great:
What’s in your back pocket?
The human heart speaks a language that is more vibrant than our word labels can ever truly articulate.
And one that may just be the key to solving some pretty pressing challenges in our world today.
Passion forward.
Kira Day is the Founder/CEO of The Passion Centre, Inc. © Kira Day
Darrick Dean 