Why You Can't Choose Just One Thing (And That's Your Superpower)?

On Being a Multipassionated (and Living Abroad as One)

Welcome to The Inclusion Room — a space where literature, science, and storytelling meet to unlock the power of diversity, inspiring both personal and professional growth.

Dear Readers,
I hope this letter finds you well!

Are you constantly full of new ideas, jumping from project to project or from training to training?

Does the idea of doing the same job your whole life feel like a nightmare?

Does the idea of spending your entire life in one place make you feel anxious?

If so, I see you. You’re probably a multipotentialite, a multipassionate, or—as some say—an octopus.

There are many names for people like us.

Photo taken by the Author in Sicily

I procrastinated writing this post for a long time. Why? Maybe because I didn’t know where to start.

My Journey Through the Rabbit Hole

As far back as I can remember, I’ve been searching for something new.

Maybe it started in childhood: as an only child who got bored easily, I filled my time with whatever new activity I could find. A funny story? My mother once found me at age five trying to decipher her old stenography textbook from high school. I was already bored of the alphabet!

Of course, my favorite hero and story was Alice in Wonderland!
With the eyes of a child, I admired how her curiosity opened doors to magical worlds—how asking questions and getting lost was part of the adventure.

In high school, I studied ancient languages and literature. Eight hours a week of Greek and Latin. I adored Greek tragedy (maybe that’s when my love for theatre was born), and of course I loved literature. I craved writing. But when it came time to choose my university path, I shocked everyone—including my math teacher—by announcing:

"I want to study Engineering."

She nearly fell off her chair.

“With only one hour of math per week, you want to study engineering?!”

Absolutely. That’s exactly why.

I had a baggage of five years of literature and I felt I could still enjoy it on my own. But science? That was a whole new world to explore.

When I first walked into the university classroom that September, I felt like a foreigner. My peers spoke a language I didn’t understand—formulas, symbols, physics laws. I raised my hand every ten minutes to ask questions, feeling ashamed and out of place.

I wondered: What’s wrong with me? Why am I pushing myself so far outside my comfort zone? Am I sabotaging my future?

My parents and I made a deal: if I failed my exams that first trimester, I would switch to law or literature in January. That sounded reassuring for all of us.

But things turned out very differently.

One day, before answering my question, my math professor quoted a line from a Greek tragedy.

Almost in a trance, I completed the sentence. I had learned that passage from Medea by heart back in high school.

“You come from a classical high school, don’t you?” she asked.

I nodded.

"So did I," she said, her eyes scanning the room with quiet pride.

Silence in the room. She saw me. That moment legitimized me in front of my classmates. I often think of her when I feel like I'm pushing myself too far out of my comfort zone.

When the exams came—math, physics, economics, programming—I passed all of them. I didn’t have to quit!

I could do it! Discover a new world through science, while nurturing my enduring love for writing.
Indeed, this unlikely combination of passions came together in my work as a researcher, from writing my PhD thesis to the scientific articles I later published.

The common thread from then until now has been my passion for intellectual challenges and change. I’ve always loved connecting the dots between disciplines.

At the time, I thought it meant I was just a curious student and young researcher.

But the real challenge came later, when as a professional my personality started to look like a problem.

I started my first job in industry in a completely different field from my research. I learned fast, it was deeply rewarding—until it wasn’t.

In average I got bored after 2 years in a new position. That became a pattern.

I kept asking myself: What’s wrong with me? Why do others stay in the same role and go deeper, while I need to leave once I’ve learned the cycle?

And this extended beyond just work. My life has always been a patchwork:

I acted in plays, volunteered with NGOs, started writing a novel (still tucked away in a drawer!), learned 5 languages, dove into self-study first art history, then particle physics, then geopolitics… All the while, I kept constantly traveling.

Eventually, I felt so different from my engineering peers that I reached out to a coach.

The verdict? There wasn’t a single job that could contain me.

My coach (who might be reading this!) once told me: “I was about to give you the IKIGAI exercise, but then I thought—it wouldn’t fit your profile.”

The outcome was: I could be a manager, a theatre owner, an NGO worker, a writer, and still do my current job.

All at the same time.

Nothing stood out above the rest. I was unable—and unwilling—to choose.

I need to learn constantly. In parallel. Once I understand something, I move on. I often leave projects unfinished—not out of laziness, but because I’ve already mentally left the room.

That’s when I paused, searched, and stumbled upon something that changed everything:

Multipotentiality.

I discovered Barbara Sher’s book Refuse to choose. It felt like someone had finally seen me.

I wasn’t broken. I was an explorer.

Photo of the Author in California

Who is an explorer? Someone with an intense and endless curiosity for many subjects that seem unrelated. An explorer is someone driven by curiosity and a deep fascination for novelty.
They have an unshakable desire to venture into the unknown, an exceptional ability to grasp new concepts, and a boundless enthusiasm for experimentation.
Above all, they are fueled by a passion for living life to the fullest.

If you are an explorer, it’s in your nature. Ignore it, and you’ll always feel anxious and unsatisfied¹.

That moment of awareness shifted everything.
Being seen and valued for all that I am—what a relief.
At last, I felt whole. Legitimate.

Today, I fully embrace who I am. I still change jobs regularly. I still juggle many activities. But now I know:

I am an explorer. That’s the word I use now to define myself and how I show up in the world. And I’m proud of it.

---

🌍 What does this have to do with living abroad?

Everything.

Living abroad brings novelty and diversity into my life in the best possible way.
New languages, new codes, new cultural rules—pure fuel for my inner explorer.

In fact, living abroad often amplifies your multipotentiality.
You switch languages, roles, and routines.
You adapt, reinvent yourself, and connect cultures.

As a multipassionate person, you already have all the skills needed to thrive in this kind of adventure. You've already taken on the challenge of being a beginner at work or in a hobby.

As an expat, you take that challenge even further: you become a beginner again and again, in life itself.
You enjoy starting from scratch, learning how to flow with a new environment.

You already carry the tools within you, drawing from your multipotentiality:
– Adaptability
– Pattern recognition
– Fast learning
– Cross-cultural curiosity
– Big-picture thinking
– Comfort in the “in-between”

So if you're walking this path abroad as a multipassionate, it's no accident.
On one hand, you're fueled by novelty.
On the other, you're wired for it.

So, my fellow multipassionates, multipotentialites—whether you're an expat or rooted where you are,

If you found yourself nodding as you read this—
If you've ever felt like you don't quite fit into traditional molds,
If you're tired of being told to "just pick one thing"—
I see you.

You're not broken.
You're not unfocused.
You're not lacking commitment.

You're a multipotentialite, a multipassionate soul, an explorer, an octopus mind— and the world needs exactly what you bring.

Embrace your complexity it’s your superpower.

---

And Now, for me a new chapter begins

I currently have a full-time job, and if you read my job description, you might think I’m doing the work of three different people.

But I also act in a theatre production (on stage in June!), practice yoga, write this newsletter and follow my curiosity across borders whenever possible.

Still, something was missing:

The human dimension. The topic of diversity kept coming back.

Facilitating change, training teams, coaching colleagues—I realized I could merge all my talents. So I started something new and exciting:

🎓 I'm currently completing a coaching degree!
Starting this summer, I’ll be offering 1:1 coaching sessions designed to support you through meaningful transitions and bold choices.

Whether you're:

• A Multipassionated, ready to harness the full power of your many talents,

• An Explorer, looking to feel seen and empowered to be your whole self,

• An Expat (or aspiring one), seeking clarity and grounding in times of transition.

  
  This space is for you.

Let’s build a space where your uniqueness is celebrated and transformed into your superpower.

1. Barbara Sher : Refuse to chose