What do you want to be when you grow up?
Friday, 31 July 2009 19:27 Last Updated on Friday, 31 July 2009 20:11
Do you remember being a young child and being asked the question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"
For me, the answer always changed. I wanted to be a baseball player, an astronaut, an airline pilot, even a garbage man! (not that I had any desire to play baseball, steer a spacecraft or an airplane, or even play in garbage...)
It was a fun question because I felt like the possibilities were endless! And there was no real attachment to the answer because it didn't matter at that young age when my main focus was about fun things like learning how to ride a bike or how not to get hit during dodgeball.
But as I grew older, the question grew heavier, with more seriousness, because this question was supposed to be the end all and be all of my ENTIRE LIFE! "What do you want to be when you grow up?" also became attached with other questions, like "How is that going to support you?", "Why of all jobs would you want to do that?" or "Is that really realistic?" It seems like the only respectable answer to the main question was to be a doctor or a lawyer.
As innocent as the question "What do you want to be when you grow up?" is, it's loaded with potential judgment, from your parents, your relatives, your friends, and society. For some reason, the dominant belief in society is that you are supposed to have a job that guarantees you a regular paycheck, offers you stability and eventually you would retire from that job.
Unfortunately, the world offers very few jobs like that today. And living a life based on this criteria might've brought a regular paycheck, but it didn't necessarily bring passion and happiness with it.
So what if you asked yourself the same question today. But this time, get rid of all of the preconceived notions of what ANYONE told you that you should do, even get rid of the notions that you told YOURSELF what you should do. And then get rid of the part of the question that says "when you grow up". So the question simply is:
"WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE?"
Notice that the question isn't "What do you want to do?". Nor is the question "What do you want to have?" The question is simply "What do you want to be?"
When I ask this question to my clients and to people who attend my classes and workshops, the answer inevitably shows up as one common phrase..."I want to be happy."
Imagine running your life where being happy was your main criteria to decide what job you would have, what kind of relationship you invite, what activities you get involved in, what kind of home environment you create. If something didn't bring you true happiness and joy, then let go of those things that don't serve you.
How would your life be different if you asked yourself every moment of the day..."Does this bring out my joy?"
Try it out for a day. Wake up in the morning saying "Today all my actions are guided by my happiness and joy." Be aware of what shows up, and follow your inner guidance towards expressing that joy. I guarantee that your life would feel a lot more fulfilling at the end of the day. And would you rather be guaranteed a life of fulfillment, or a 30-year job that is unfulfilling and draining?
In the end, it really is your choice. So today I ask you, "What do you want to be?" And "What do you have to change in your life so you can BE that?" I invite you to share your comments. I'd love to hear from you!
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