Why MOA?

I’m sure almost everyone has heard the phrase “jack of all trades, but a master of none.” I’ve been told I’m a renaissance woman and a jack of all trades countless times. However, I was recently told I couldn’t be a master of all. I thought to myself, why? Why can’t I be a master of all?

Society has placed boundaries on what we’re capable of through social constructs. We’re told we should fit in, focus on one thing, do a great job at that, and abandon anything else that interests us. I think people can pursue as many things as they want as long as it adds to their overall happiness and enriches their life. Otherwise, what’s the point of life?

We choose a job, but a job also chooses us. It’s like a relationship and it can bring immense joy to our lives when we choose what speaks to us.

This website is dedicated to honoring the education system and playing by the rules of the game. We’ll stay in our respective boxes, but we’ll make that box as inviting and fulfilling as possible. I’ll show you why the subjects that are taught in school are so valuable and important for your development.

Everything is connected if you look close enough and you may realize that you actually love Geometry or Algebra II even if you think you’re “bad at math.” Maybe the reason why we dislike certain subjects is because it’s our weakness. If we can strengthen those weaknesses, then it removes the assumption that we can only enjoy things that we’re naturally good at.

You may want to make your own connections, but don’t know where to begin. I recommend starting with your interests (ex: trains), asking questions, and document your findings with a software such as Bear or Obsidian. It’s important to pursue what naturally feels right for you.

What if you lack the resources to do that? Take advantage of your local library!

Here’s an example of how I approach learning:

I woke up this morning, drank my coffee, and thought what’s the pH of my coffee?

This led to another question: at what pH do bacteria get destroyed?

This led me to ask myself a final question: what pH does tooth enamel begin to breakdown?

This was a fairly simple question flow, but I’ve had much more complex ones such as the different calendars and windowless airplanes.

Ironically, learning was a constant battle until my early twenties. I couldn’t grasp the easiest concepts and didn’t know how to communicate through writing. I thought I could improve with effort, but I didn’t have the confidence to believe in myself. This created an internal conflict and a debilitating anxiety that I learned to live with.

There’s a debate as to whether intelligence is strictly fluid or crystallized. My private school teachers believed intelligence was crystallized; you’re either born smart or you’re not and can’t get smarter. This is false. There’s so much research that shows there are different components to intelligence and it falls on a spectrum of fluid to crystallized. One of the most well known tests to measure intelligence is the IQ test, but it doesn’t give you the full picture of someone’s intelligence.

People are naturally gifted at some things over others. Some are better at math, some are more musically inclined, and others have better body awareness. Your level of intelligence shouldn’t be a cage or discourage you from pursuing what you want.

Kids should be allowed to be kids and learn at their own pace. I personally don’t think it benefits a child much when a parent exposes them to Beethoven’s symphony. There’s a time and a place for a person to optimize their intelligence and childhood is not the time.

I remember seeing my classmates stress about grades because their parents cared so much about them getting all As. Can you imagine a 4th grader crying during class when they scored an 85 on a history test because they feared they would get punished? That’s what it’s like for our youth. This is too much pressure on a child.

This leads me to ask: why is society obsessed with intelligence? Yes, it’s advantageous to be smart, but why do we place so much value on intelligence? I’ve never thought of myself as someone who’s super smart because the more I learn, the more I realize I know nothing. Learning is a paradox and an endless pursuit of trying to make sense of the world.

I’ve been on both ends of the spectrum in terms of people thinking I’m dumb or I’m smart. Do you want to know which one I preferred? I preferred being perceived as dumb because there were no expectations. I could be whatever I wanted because the assumption was that I wouldn’t amount to anything. I’ve hit rock bottom plenty of times in my life and when people assume you’re dumb, it’s an artificial rock bottom. There’s very little resistance for improvement because you only have one option.

Let’s think about something else. Do you appreciate things you have to work for more than the things that come easily? For most people the answer is yes. When you lack something, the natural tendency is to pursue it.

What happens if you develop your weaknesses? You become more well-rounded.

What happens if you use your fears as a guide rather than something to avoid? You’ll initially feel discomfort, but what happens after you accept those feelings? You’ll quickly realize you had a negativity bias and were strong enough to handle what you were avoiding. This expands your reality because it builds your confidence and allows you to trust yourself.

I’m saying this, but do I follow my own advice? Not always. However, I told myself in December of 2024 that I wanted 2025 to be the year I take risks and do things that freak me out. So far, this year has been a rollercoaster and I faced the most terrifying thing of all: myself.

Yes, I’ve been afraid of myself and my potential for as long as I can remember. It was easy accepting my reality as it was and not pushing myself.

Life is like a washing machine. It’ll continue putting you in the same situations until you decide to make a change. I became sick of my bad habits and decided to live for myself. In the process, I gained self-belief and now understand what it feels like to be confident from within.

If you can harness self-belief to your advantage, you’ll become unstoppable. Self-belief begins when you let go of the outcomes in a situation and control your response. The trick is knowing you can handle whatever uncertainty life throws at you. Most people think if you obsess over the future, then it’ll reduce your anxiety and you’ll be prepared. This only robs you of your joy. If you instead trust your abilities and detach from the situation, you’ll experience a blanket of calmness because your anchor comes from within.

The journey to becoming a MOA begins with yourself through acceptance. Focus on doing your best and allow yourself to make mistakes. Use your failures as feedback and learn from them, but don’t ever give up.