One of the most difficult to truthfully answer.
Usually the standard responses will follow: "A Fireman!" "A Teacher!" "A Dinosaur!"
For me, I cycled through the typical right-brained answers: Singer (oops, tone deaf), Dancer (not enough discipline), Actress (this made it further than the others) - the trifecta. I glance back into that youthful past of blissful ignorance and possibility and giggle at my naivety.
Why haven't I achieved stardom in these areas? Was it a lack of talent? Lack of resources? Lack of pursuit? I have justified these "failures" by saying that I simply decided I did not want those things anymore. I lost the passion to pursue and therefore I lost the thrill of pursuit.
Alas, you will find it true in any area of your life. When the passion begins to dwindle that's when the dreaded face of unhappiness rears its ugly head.
"There is no passion to be found in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living"
- Nelson Mandela
And so we all embark on a journey of passion. Those of us who can identify our passions easily (playing an instrument or a sport, photography, painting, flying planes, you get the point...) Those people have an advantage.
You may immediately jump into your linear brain to point out "Yeah well, it's really hard to make money just following any passion."
Well, this isn't about money. This is about Life. Your Life. And What You Choose to Make of it Right Now.
So, what did I really want to be when I grew up?
It's funny how selective our memories are as children. I remember being asked this question. I am positive I was asked numerous times, but this moment I remember clear as day.
The sun shone bright and the spring breeze filtered through the trees. Frolicking about the backyard (because what else do children do but frolic?), building sand cakes in the playground, my father asked me, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"
My response: "An Author."
He let out an "Aw, you're cute" kind of chuckle and said, "You mean a writer?"
I want to be an author. This is my life, my story, and I am the author.
I invite you to be the same for yours.
