“We plan our lives according to a dream that came to us in our childhood, and we find that life alters our plans. And yet, at the end, from a rare height, we also see that our dream was our fate. It’s just that providence had other ideas as to how we would get there. Destiny plans a different route, or turns the dream around, as if it were a riddle, and fulfills the dream in ways we couldn’t have expected.” ~ Ben Okri
So you’re all grown up now.
Or maybe not. If that’s the case, even better.
Either way, there were some pretty big dreams in your noggin back when you were a kid.
Now, travel back in your imagination to when you were that big-dreamin’ kid:
- What did you see yourself doing?
- Are you doing it?
- Is it possible that you are, just in another form?
These are important questions, and I’ll tell you why. Most creative and entrepreneurial types began to see some inkling of that drive when they were young. Some choose to squash and ignore it, and our educational system does a great job of helping that along.
Here’s My Challenge for You…
Take some time this weekend and:
- Explore if what you are doing relates to the dreams you had when you were young.
- Do something you saw yourself doing as a grown-up, when you were a kid.
- Commit to making your whole life look more like you imagined it would be.
You’ll be surprised at how making those dreams a reality is easier than you think.
What were your dreams…?
I was always talking about starting this construction company, or something like that, with my bigger brother. He’s eleven years older, so when I was a kid I really looked up to him and he wanted to be a carpenter back in those days (or at least I wanted him to be one.. but if I remember correctly, he really wanted it himself too).
So, working at my second startup.. Still in the internet-business; was it what I thought I would become when I was a kid? Maybe. When I got a few years older I wanted to be a programmer, and I still do that too.. Guess I combined them? 😉
Great post Tony, you’ve really got me thinking.. Going to do some more thinking now!
Tony, I have to say–I love this blog. Your content is always original & spot-on…gives me something to strive toward in my own writing. This post really got me thinking again–the last 3 weeks I’ve been seriously evaluating what I’m doing, what I want to do, and how to get there from here. I’ve started my own blog and I’m trying to figure out exactly what angle I want to take on it in the future. I enjoy writing, so blogging’s a natural fit, but figuring out how to make it profitable while writing about the things I really want to is the tough part. At any rate, thanks for the reminder and the challenge!
Cheers,
Zen Zoomie
Good post! When I was a child, I had dozens of jobs that I wanted to try, but two things really stuck with me as I was growing up, writing and medicine.
I started out by dictating stories to my mom when I was 3 and kept writing stories after that. I told everyone that I was going to be a novelist and they all told me that writer´s don´t make money. So I planned to be a doctor and kept writing in my free time.
Turns out that I hate school, so I decided to try being a paramedic instead of doing 10 years of med school. I worked as a paramedic for 2 years, loved it and then went traveling.
Now, I live in Guatemala, write articles and web content for a living and love it! The only thing that changed is that I went from writing fiction to doing non-fiction! So, I´ve done both my dreams, in a slightly altered manner and enjoyed them both.
Excellent questions. Allowed to ponder your dreams, your mind sets in motion the actions necessary to begin achieving your goals.
I recently illustrated a powerful exercise I call a “Treasure Map†here: http://millionairemommynextdoor.blogspot.com/2007/07/i-want-to-make-lots-of-money.html
I created my first collage of wealth and happiness (Treasure Map) when I was in my early twenties. A few years later, I was living the life I saw reflected there. Every few years, my life experiences would modify some of my aspirations and passions – my visions for what wealth and happiness meant to me – so I’d create a new Treasure Map. Lo and behold, my life would soon morph to fit my new vision. And so it has repeated, over and over again. Truly amazing.
I also agree about our public education system conditioning kids to squash their dreams, aspirations, creativity, and personal gifts. In fact, this is the biggest reason I’ve chosen to educate my daughter at home (homeschooling).
~Millionaire Mommy Next Door
Martijn – I remember doing the same type of thing with my brother. We were always scheming.
Zen – The key is matching up your interests with those of your readers. It may change and grow over time, too.
Genesis – Great story! It sounds like as you pursued your dreams, they evolved. That’s the best way to keep enjoying what you’re doing.
Millionaire Mommy – I’ve found that a lot of home-based entrepreneurs choose to home school.