When I Grow Up...

What you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? I'm betting that it's pretty different than what you're doing (or preparing to do) now. Based on the direction I'm headed in...my career could be pretty different, too.

As kids, we were very in touch with what we liked, what we didn't like, what we wanted and what we didn't want. What happened? As time passed, we became bombarded with outside influences that make us scatterbrained, indecisive and less confident in our childhood dreams. For all we know, these influences could have set us back farther away from our purpose.

I recently read If You Have to Cry, Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You, by Kelly Cutrone. As a child, she would execute large-scale neighborhood events and fundraisers. Now as an entrepreneur, PR mogul and icon; she talks about how she rediscovered her childhood dreams and has never been happier or more confident that she is fulfilling her purpose. Best of all...she loves what she does!

As a child, I was beyond sure that I would be a writer. Not a journalist, but an author. And not just an author, but a BEST-SELLING author (I've always been ambitious lol). I also promised myself that I would open my own bookstore/cafe' called Timbuktu ("where every race came to get books to learn from black teachers who taught Greeks and Romans, Asian, Arabs..." -Nas, I Know I Can). I wrote three novels during elementary, middle and high school (all over 100 pages), but I never let anyone read them (out of fear of criticism). Yet, looking back over them, I think they're pretty good...if I do say so myself :)

But where did our dreams and plans go? I think we started looking at other peoples' successes, statistics, how much work it takes to obtain our visions...and suddenly, these dreams don't seem too realistic. I think we start following in another person's path, hoping to gain the same fulfillment and results- when our hearts really aren't in it.

I think I'm going to have a few people look at my latest novel and give me some feedback. I may be able to make publishing moves now! Maybe I could even invest in a little hole-in-the-wall and become an entrepreneur sooner than I imagined! Now that I think about it, I also had dreams of being a background singer (harmonizing and snapping from left to right), and even being a mayor of a small town. Those dreams may seem pretty silly now...but I was more confident in them than ever, when I was younger.

I think it's time I rediscovered my passion and childhood dreams. Sometimes our purpose is clear...it's what has been in front of our faces all along!

Whether you always saw yourself as a teacher, chef, an artist, designer, a mom, a dad, a firefighter, an actor, doctor, preacher or even the president of the country...maybe it's time for you to revisit that vision! Remember when teachers used to tell us we could be anything we put our minds too? Well, I'm pretty sure that it's still true!