What Did You Dream of Becoming When You Were a Kid, and Is It Too Late?
As a child, do you remember being bombarded with the question: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Did your young imagination run wild, painting vibrant pictures of dazzling careers? Perhaps you dreamt of wearing a white coat as a doctor, or imagined yourself as a singer or exploring outer space as an astronaut. Maybe you dreamt of playing the piano or guitar, or becoming a teacher, a lawyer or a famous ballerina? Where did your dreams go?
At its core, “growing up” is often shrouded in traditional expectations and milestones – high school graduation, college, starting a career, getting married, having a family, and settling into a routine. Yet, the truth is that your dreams don’t have to adhere to a fixed timetable! Growing up can happen at any stage, and it’s never too late to reinvent yourself and become someone new!
What is holding you back from becoming a lifelong learner, and maybe even reinventing yourself? I am sure you know someone who completely reinvented themselves. Don’t you sometimes wonder what it would be like? We frequently hear about seniors enrolling in colleges driven by late-blooming passions to earn degrees in fields they had yearned for in their youth. After decades of being a mom and homemaker, I pursued my degree well past the typical schooling age. It was a dream of mine, and I made it come true – and you can make your dreams come true also!
Consider the growing number of individuals opting for career changes – transformations that might initially seem unthinkable. When we understand that fulfillment in a career dramatically contributes to one’s overall happiness in life or not something inside us shifts. Nowadays, corporate executives leave their high-paying careers behind to embrace the simplicity of becoming a writers or artists. Once passionate workers shun their cubicles to become full-time musicians or non-profit workers. You get the idea.
My best friend Laura is a former teacher who, at 57, decided to follow her lifelong passion for art. With a leap of faith, she dedicated her energy to creating gorgeous pieces of art!
She incorporates photos, bark from trees, and wire and has been gaining recognition in local galleries and selling her work. I went to her first show, and she sold nine pieces! Not only that! She writes poetry, has become an aromatherapist, and is an avid gardener, and she finally moved into her dream home in the mountains! Laura is a perfect testament to the idea that you can be anything you want to be and do anything you want to do – at any age.
This desire to grow, change, and explore new possibilities is a testament to the human spirit’s resilience and adaptability. As the world evolves, so do our interests and capabilities. Technological advancements have opened the doors of possibility wide open! Today, anyone with an internet connection can learn virtually anything.
Growing up can feel daunting, woven with expectations that can often stifle our creativity and suppress our deep-seated ambitions. Personal growth is not linear, and life happens. Personal development is about seeking fulfillment and joy in your life, and the definition of success can undoubtedly change along the way.
We must open our hearts and minds to celebrating stories of late bloomers and second acts. Small businesses are booming as people turn their hobbies and passions into profit! So, let me ask: What do you want to be when you grow up? What would light you up? What would you be willing to get out of bed with a smile on your face for? Life experience shapes our perspectives in ways that can ignite new passions or reshape old ones. What may have initially seemed like a dream job may not be as fulfilling anymore? Personal interests and life situations change, and that is okay. Aren’t we supposed to grow and evolve?
So, it really doesn’t matter if you are 18, 30, 50 or 80; it’s crucial to shed the belief that dreams are for the young. Life is a continuous journey of self-discovery. The dreams we had when we were kids may not be realistic, but the dreams we have in our hearts can often manifest unexpectedly. So, what would you like to be when you grow up? It doesn’t matter when you choose to chase your dreams, as long as you never give up on them. It is never too late to grow up and redefine your path. It’s never too late to begin creating a life that is authentically yours. It’s still okay to dream big! After all, your life is a journey filled with endless possibilities, so keep dreaming, growing and becoming. It’s never too late to believe in yourself!
