When I Was A Kid…

We hear people talk regularly about what the world was like when they were a kid. Our parents likely had to trudge uphill to school, barefoot, jacketless, in the snow. Then somehow, it would be uphill on the way home after school as well. What we seldom hear about, though, is what people actually wanted to be when they were young.

I remember a scene from the Adam Sandler movie Mr. Deeds, where Deeds asks a room full of investors what they wanted to be. Each person in the room wanted to be something, make something, or improve the world in some way. Then somewhere along the way, they either decided not to put in the work to make it happen, or they simply sold their dream for something else. One person dreamed of being a veterinarian as a kid and then ended up owning a slaughterhouse instead. The funny quip from Deeds was something like, “I guess you went all the way in the other direction on that one.” How much would it cost for you to give up on your dream? What is it that you would or did trade for the life you wanted? Kids haven't been conditioned to believe their dreams aren’t possible.

The beauty of a child’s mind is their focus on creation rather than destruction. The only professional speakers I knew as a kid were preachers and evangelists. Growing up as a preacher’s kid, my focus stayed pretty narrow. When I was asked if I was going to be a preacher like my dad, I usually responded that I wanted to be more like a preacher on TV. I loved the idea of speaking. I loved how my dad helped people see ways to improve themselves and grow in their spiritual maturity. I also loved the idea of being successful as a speaker and having the nice things that come with success.

I wanted to speak as a kid. I wanted to help people find peace, comfort, and even success. I didn’t know what it was supposed to look like then. I just knew that I really enjoyed both speaking and writing. Far too many people go through their lives chasing after the dream that someone else wants for them. While not all dreams become reality, all dreams are possible with the right exchange of effort, enthusiasm, and tenacity. I am curious about what you wanted to be when you were a kid. Are you living the dream you saw in your mind as a child? Did you stick to your plan to be awesome, happy, and fun, or whatever your plan was at the age of 10? If not, what would you need to do to get back to that inspired kid inside of you?