Why I Love Being a Polymath

People sometimes ask me, “How do you do so many things?”

My honest answer: I don’t know how NOT to.

I’ve never been someone who fits neatly into one box. I’m a speech pathologist, a writer, a life coach, an actor, a yoga teacher, an ESL educator, a business owner, and yes, someone who hangs upside down on a pole for fun.

And somehow… it all makes perfect sense to me.

Being a polymath feels like living in colour. Every skill I learn feeds another part of my life. Every curiosity becomes a doorway. Every new passion adds a layer to who I am and how I show up in the world.

Speech Pathology taught me to communicate with purpose

Working with kids and families has given me the deepest understanding of communication, not just the mechanics, but the heart behind it. Helping someone speak, read, learn, or connect unlocks something inside me too.

Life coaching taught me to listen, REALLY listen

Coaching helped me tune in to people’s dreams, fears, habits, and patterns. It made me a better therapist, a better friend, and honestly, a better human. It’s one of the skills that anchors everything else I do.

Acting taught me to feel everything fully

Acting is where I get to be bold, expressive, vulnerable, and creative in ways everyday life doesn’t always allow. It’s helped me understand characters, emotions, humanity – which loops right back into my coaching and therapy work.

Writing taught me to make sense of the world

Words are how I process life. From “The Speakable Child” to the new projects I’m creating, writing lets me turn ideas into stories, and stories into something useful for someone else.

Yoga taught me to breathe and soften

Yoga balances the fire. It reminds me to slow down, feel my body, and come back to myself, something all polymaths need because our brains can be like hummingbirds.

Pole art taught me strength, discipline, and play

Pole is where I surprise myself the most. The strength, the flow, the artistry; it’s a celebration of being human. It’s creative and athletic at the same time, and it’s one of the places where I feel the most free.

Business taught me courage

Speakable didn’t build itself. It took years of ideas, risks, failures, and growth. Being an entrepreneur showed me that creativity isn’t just an art; it’s a strategy.

What I love most about being a polymath

It’s not the titles or the skills.

It’s the way everything overlaps.

My acting improves my communication coaching.

My coaching improves my therapy.

My therapy work gives depth to my writing.

My writing clears my mind for yoga.

Yoga strengthens my discipline for pole.

Pole energises me for everything else.

It’s all connected like a tapestry of passions that weave together into one life.

I love being a polymath because it lets me be all of me.

Not half. Not one slice.

All.

And if there’s one message I hope people take from my journey, it’s this:

You don’t need to choose one dream.

You’re allowed to choose many and let them shape you into something extraordinary.

Binh

Why I Don’t Have an English Name & Why Authenticity Matters 🇻🇳 🪷

The Question That Often Comes Up

When I first moved to Australia as a teenager, one of the first questions people asked me was: “What’s your English name?”

Sometimes people didn’t even ask. They just assumed. I’ve been called Ben more times than I can count, probably because it sounds a little like Bình, and it felt easier for them.

Even my pastor in Brisbane once gave me the name Timothy. For a few months in high school, I tried it out. I introduced myself as Timothy, signed my name that way, and went along with it. But it never sat right. Every time I heard it, I felt disconnected, like I was playing a role that didn’t belong to me. Eventually, I let it go.

Names Carry Stories

In Vietnamese, Bình means peace. It’s short, simple, and powerful. More than that, it carries the story my parents gave me at birth. It connects me to my family, my culture, and the resilience of generations who lived through the Vietnam War.

Trading it for something “easier” felt like erasing that story. My name is part of who I am, and it deserves to be spoken.

Authenticity Over Convenience

I understand why many people adopt English names. Sometimes it feels easier. You don’t have to repeat yourself three times in class or sit through the awkward silence of someone struggling to pronounce it.

But for me, keeping Bình has been an act of authenticity. Yes, it means people stumble. Yes, sometimes they call me Ben without asking. But each time I correct them, I’m affirming: my name matters, and so do I.

Representation Matters

If people can learn to say names like Schwarzenegger or Tchaikovsky, they can learn to say Bình. It’s about effort, respect, and expanding what we consider “normal.”

By keeping my Vietnamese name, I hope I make space for others too. The more we hear names from different cultures in classrooms, workplaces, and communities, the more they become part of our shared story.

Owning My Identity

My name grounds me. It’s a reminder that I don’t need to reshape who I am to fit in. I am not Ben. I am not Timothy. I am Bình and that’s enough.

So no, I don’t have an English name. And I don’t need one. My name is part of my authenticity, and authenticity is something I’ll never trade away.

Names are not a burden; they’re a gift. Honor them, speak them, and wear yours with pride.

Whether it’s your name, your culture, or your story, don’t feel you have to shrink or change it for others.

Your authenticity is your strength. Be proud!

Hugs,

Bình

Be water

What is water?

Soft & flexible yet strong & powerful.

The driving force of all nature.

Takes the shape of its container.

Cuts through rocks because of its persistence.

Comes in various forms liquid, solid & gas.

You – are made up of water.

Take all the time that you need to think about that. 💧💙

Bình