Beth wanted to be a ballerina and have lots of kids when she grew up. So did one of my close girlfriends.
Marta longed to own a business. Mitzi dreamed of dancing. Modern dance, jazz, and ballet. Lynett wanted to be a Park Ranger, and then a writer. Darlene pictured life as a teacher, and I wanted to be a baker.
Every kid has a dream. Where do those dreams go?
A person’s career path can change drastically from their childhood aspirations. While some of us did indeed pursue the career we wanted as a child, many of us changed our minds as we grew older, and we pursued different paths.
For certain some of us saw our youthful dreams materialize. Maybe not as our lifelong career or occupation, but maybe as a hobby or a pastime. However, according to a survey nearly 8-10 adults did not achieve their childhood career aspirations.
Wow! That’s a high percentage. But maybe as a young child you dreamed of becoming a giraffe or a mermaid! That could be the problem.
But in all seriousness, if your inner child still longs to glide effortless in pink tights and pointe shoes, all is not lost. It’s never too late to feel the essence or the spirit of our passions. We just have to know we’re worth the effort.
Here’s a combination of thoughts that might prove helpful – some I found online, and some are gained through my personal experience.
What would it take for you to feel like you’re living your kid-inspired dream at least some of the time?
Take a moment and journal that thought. What is the core feeling you have when you think of your dream? When you can verbalize the feeling, explore how you can add more of that feeling to your life. Does it really take pink tights or is it a feeling of a graceful, strong body or a peaceful mind that you desire?
Do you think you gave up on your dream because you lost confidence in it or some person, some outside authority made you doubt your vision?
Time to take the journal out again. As you grew, maybe you started to doubt your ability. For instance, if you wanted to run long distances, maybe someone mentioned you didn’t have the legs for it, or that you were a little overweight and convinced you “real” marathoners were slim-built. Is it possible you may have surrendered your dream? Ponder this and journal your thoughts. Winning Boston may not be in your future. But who knows, with a running program, you just might break the tape at the next neighborhood senior fun run, as the crowd cheers you on.
Do you think it's beneficial to recall or remind yourself of a part of your childhood desire?
I think the simple answer here is if the memory brings you joy, then stick with it. Add components of your dream to your current life. It could lead to or reignite passion and creativity.
And if it doesn’t feel good? Simply move on.
And as always, we’re interested in you. Tell us – what did you want to be when you grew up?
Here’s a fun fact about Kerry Washington, a movie actress, and best known for her role as Olivia Pope on the popular TV series, Scandal. As a kid, it wasn’t the big screen that had her attention. She longed for the big pool at Sea World taking care of Shamu. She’s quoted as saying, “I thought that was the best job in the world, to care for and feed dancing whales.”
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