
What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?
Remember when you were young and you had the whole world and your whole life in front of you? There was a time when you had an open mindset about possibilities. Anything and everything could come true and be yours. Then time passed and you forgot how to dream and how to think big. You took on more and more responsibilities and with those responsibilities more windows seemed to close.
You may have had a few birthdays since you last dreamed big, and your list of responsibilities might not fit on one page if you had to list them all, but it doesn’t mean you have to let go of possibilities. You can still dream. You can still have visions and you can certainly make them a reality.
So what do you want to be when you grow up?
Sit back, put your hands behind your head, put your feet up and dream. Dream away. Envision yourself in the life you want.
Now, ask yourself if you want that life because it fills a passion, a love? Is it something that would bring you peace? Would it make you happy?
When you were young and you had dreams they formed from your heart and what you knew at the time. As you age you become more cynical, more controlled by the need to gain approval and acceptance, you learn shame and guilt, and you get pounded by society and the expected impressions of what you should want. As you age you forget how to dream from your heart.
If anywhere in your dreams you have the desire for someone else to see you succeed, then you are addicted to approval. If your dreams involve someone else seeing you arise from the ashes and do well, then you might be filled with shame and guilt over your choices. If you want to live like those you see on printed pages, the Internet, or in film, then you have envy more than you have a vision. All of those things could be hindering your progress. They are causing you to create dreams born of emotions contradictory to your true self.
You may need to learn more about how to let go of the emotions that live more fully in you than love and happiness. Don’t feel bad about that, because a great majority of us have something we need to work on, at least those of us that aren’t perfect often have that issue holding us back.
The sooner you get to addressing the emotions and thoughts that dominate your life that aren’t good for you, then the sooner you can free yourself to dream with passion and from the core of who you really are — the person you were meant to be before the hard things happened.
If your dreams are born of your heart and they are filled with happiness and purpose, then you need to keep them close. You need to figure out a way to make it happen. It may take years, but if you start today then as the years pass then you will be closer. If you never start, then it will never happen. It may take money, but you don’t have to have it all now. There are things to learn, changes to be made, and other steps that don’t require cash on hand.
Time, money, difficulty, or anything else is an excuse. Don’t let fear hold you back. Start with one step, one thing that will make a difference and make an impossible dream become a possibility.
One step will lead to two, and then you just keep going. Write down where you are and where you want to be and fill in the in-between. That in-between is where you need to put your focus and your hard work. That is all that is standing between you and the life you want.
The in-between is what holds us back from being who we want to be, from being in the life we want to lead, from being happy. The in-betweens can be broken down into small parts and then one by one they can be changed. They can be marked off your list and you can get closer and closer to realizing your dream.
No matter where you are now, no matter your current responsibilities, no matter your resources, no matter your support, no matter how defeated or tired you feel, you can start and take one step. Do one thing that will make a difference. It really is that simple.
So, what do you want to be when you grow up? Make it happen.
If you liked this article, you might also enjoy: If You Start Today Imagine Where You Will Be This Time Next Year
Thank you for reading — it means a lot to me. I appreciate your sharing as well. Please follow me on Medium, Twitter, or LinkedIn — I’d love to connect and be a part of your network team. On social media I share my own articles, but also those that I find helpful and relevant to business, success, entrepreneurship, community enhancement, and personal development. You can find out more about me at SherryBlue.com.