The Scanner In Me

The Scanner In Me

www.barbarasher.com  (For more information on being a Scanner)


         Do you find yourself flitting from project to project?
         Do you find it almost impossible to commit to one career?
         Do you wish you were two, five or ten different people so that you could pursue all your interests?
         Do you find yourself immersed in a project/interest only to leave it half finished.
         Do you find yourself always questioning why you are the way you are?
If you answered yes to most of these questions, then you might be a Scanner.  This is not a bad thing really.  Being a scanner is very liberating.  It means that you are wired for curiosity in a big way. 

         I went to school for Esthetics and finished the program but by the end of it I was totally bored to death.  I started a Massage Therapy program and two weeks into it I realized it wasn’t for me.  I earned a certificate in Administrative Secretarial.....I hated it.  Two weeks on the job and I was ready to shoot myself.  I became interested in Life Coaching....then wondered how I could possibly coach someone when I couldn’t even decide on my own path in life.  I worked on a self study program toward a certificate as a Herbalist...enjoyed that because I could work at my own pace...pick it up and set it down whenever I wanted.  I’ve had at least twenty-five different jobs . . . every job I went into with the hope and the expectation that maybe this ONE was it...this was the career I was looking for.  And each time I was sadly disappointed.

         Does all this sound familiar to you? If it does read on.  After all these starts and stops I was beginning to think that something was wrong with me.  I couldn’t find a career that created a passion in me.  One that I wanted to spend the rest of my working life doing.  Maybe I have Attention Deficit Disorder.  Could be.  Maybe I am not disciplined enough to stick it out and slog through the boredom. Yup!  That could be it as well. 

         Whatever it is it was driving me crazy.  Many times I lamented to my poor husband.  Why can’t I be normal?  Why can’t I have a career that I fall in love with and want to spend the rest of my life doing?  Why do I always think I find my passion only to become so bored that I want to shoot a nail through my foot?  He had no answers for me. 

         I read a book written by Barbara Sher called, Refuse To Choose.  It was through this book that I came to understand why I am the way I am.  I am a Scanner.  I fall somewhere in the category of a Sybil Scanner and A Jack of All Trades.  To someone like me the world is one big buffet table full of options, choices and knowledge and I want to learn it all.  I want to try everything that interests me and believe me, I have many interests.  I love to write, I love to learn and share what I learn with others.  I love to explore and try new avenues.  I work hard at whatever I am doing...and I do a lot.  I have a wealth of knowledge...but I am an expert at nothing.  I can tell you how to re-plumb a septic pipe, how to install a leach field as well as how to create an herbal preparation for almost any ailment.  I can analyze your skin type, advise on the right products to use, teach you how to apply your make-up so that it flatters your face shape.  I can give you nutrition tips and health care tips to keep you on the path to living in good health.  I can knit you a sweater, sew you a quilt and cook you a wonderful gourmet dinner.  What I cannot do is settle.  I cannot settle for any one thing...any one career or project.  This is just not who I am.  I would be living in misery if I even tried. 

         What a relief to finally learn the behavior of being a scanner.  I know now why I tend to jump into projects, learn as much as I want and sometimes its only tidbits and other times it is an in- depth study.  I can then leave the project and happily move onto something else of interest.  What about a career?  I don’t need to have one.  Life and learning are my choices of a lifelong career and for me working what I call the Good Enough Job is perfect for my lifestyle.  I work a job that I enjoy for the most part and I receive a paycheck which pays the bills and allows me a little extra to invest in my interests.

         If you want more information on this topic follow the link at the beginning of this article.  The website I am directing you to has a plethora of information on Scanners as well as forums to connect with other scanners.  Knowledge is power and knowing yourself is the most powerful gift of all.