What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?

"Don't ever let economic alone determine your career or how you spend the majority of your time." Denis Waitley

When I was a kid I wanted to be a doctor. I don't think this is something I ever actually wanted to do, but something that was expected of me since I was a smart kid. Eventually, it just became fact that I was going to be a doctor and I never questioned it. That is until one day, the one person who always wanted me to be a doctor asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. I told her the usual answer, "a doctor". Instead of the usual encouragement I heard the words, "still"? I think this is the moment I realized I actually had options and it turned my world upside down.


When I was in elementary school I had one passion besides proving to everyone how smart I was... drawing. I never really knew what to draw though, so I drew ninja turtles. Then I would take them and try to sell them on the side of the road for a nickel. The response I received for this, "no one will buy them, it's something only your family will like." I stood out there anyway, but I think I possibly gave up after that. Was art supposed to be my true calling from an early childhood? Had I chosen what I wanted to be when I grew up or would I still be as lost at this age?


A few years ago I worked at Michael's warehouse. My job was to load things in a box for every order received. I knew this was only for the summer, even if my bosses didn't. While I was there I noticed something around me, lots of other people working there for their lives. I wondered every day as I looked over at the faces of the people I worked with...What did they want to be when they grew up?


Some of us wanted to the president, the little mermaid and for more logical children a super hero. Most of us wanted to be doctors, fireman and policeman. Now we hate going to doctors, hate the police and want to see fireman only to look at them. 


As adults, do we give up our dreams because we don't want them anymore or do we give them up because we must learn to compromise in order to survive?

What did you want to be when you were a kid?