For many years I thought the corporate world was "it". I thought, when I grow up, I want to climb that corporate ladder.
I was going to...
... achieve a sense of status from the title on my business card.
... feel important by wheeling and dealing with the bigwigs.
... indulge in luxury by staying in fancy hotels during business travel, eating at fancy restaurants and drinking fancy drinks at happy hour(s).
... sell, sell, sell and make a lot of money.
Years passed and there I was, on my way. Climbing up that ladder. Rung by rung. A big girl. A "grown up."
Then I began to realize...
... a business card is only piece of paper.
... bigwigs are really just regular people.
... luxury sometimes comes at a price (like weight gain, hangovers and loneliness).
... a lot of money is never enough, especially when you are only as good as your next sale.
Feeling a bit deflated I thought to myself... Now what??
So, I decided to poll a few (40+) family members, friends and friends of friends to get some ideas. I asked them to complete the thought "When I Grow Up..." (see answers below) . Some responses I received were fun and playful, some were deep and thoughtful. ALL were inspiring.
I have since left the corporate world. Jumped off that ladder. Started to explore other things.
And, the question I previously asked myself, evolved.
Now, I ask myself to complete this thought, "AS I Grow Up…".
(My response)...
... I will explore with the curiosity of a child
... I will face my fears with the courage of a lion
... I will listen to my intuition and follow my heart
... I will be grateful for every opportunity that presents itself
... I will Live, I will Laugh, I will Love.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When I Grow Up…
... I want to be a pop star, mom and a vet. Ava, 5
... I want to be able to have no regrets, even if the path I followed had twists and turns, it just taught me more. Christina, 38
... I want to live to see my children have children, Mark 38
... I want to look back with a smile and look forward to more growing. Roxanne, 32
... I will have mastered my superpowers and take over the world! Alaina 33
... I want to have the Answers. John, 63
... I want to be a professional ballroom dancer. Meredith, 31
... look back as a student and look forward as a teacher. Celina, 35
... I want to rule the world. Andrew 30
... I will NOT be my mother- anonymous
... I want to be just like my little girl. Larry
... I want to be the best person I can be.. for myself.. my family.. my friends..my faith. Pauline
... I want to be tall, slim and willowy. Marlene
... I want to have a tattoo just like WHN. Gord
... I want to have a uniform. John
... I want to be a rockstar and talk to dolphins. Carl, 31
... I want to be THE man. Nathan, 27
... I want to be happy. Sabrina, 30
... I want more sleep. Chris M, 48
... I want to be a millionaire. Sinclair
... I want to have a house that I own. Carrie
... I want to be an athlete. Liz
... I want to be a rockstar. Carmen
... I hope to be able to walk. Riley, 13 months
... I want to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. And, I want to surround myself with happy and caring people. Tara
... Sail the seas, open and freedom! Ferenc, 67
... Show my children the world. Michelle, 35
... I want to drive across America or Europe in a convertible Ferrari. And, be happy. Sean
... In the real world I will have more gray hairs than I can count. I will have more curves that I don’t want. I will have less height that what I have today. I will have less patience than what I have now (and that’s not much). I will need more time than what is left. So in my imaginary world I want to play all day, siesta in the afternoon and eat dessert before dinner. I want to float down an eternal lazy river in a permanently relaxed state and a ridiculous smile on my face (preferably not drug induced). I want to wear pajama jeans all the time, watch movies in 3D, HD and whatever other dimension comes along. I want to own a Chia Pet. I want to invent the ultimate pest control device that doubles as an air freshener and doesn’t cause cancer. And at this point, if I had the power, I would end hunger and give all those beauty pageant contestants exactly what they want – world peace. Schereene
... I will be a paediatrician. Kai, 6
... I would like to be a woman of leisure. Pat, 64
... I want to be able to watch TMZ and not know anybody they are talking about because I am far too mature for bad reality tv. Nitasha, 31
... I might leave my parents basement. Alex, 40
... I want to be happy, healthy, debt free and not have to work. Nikki, 36
... I want to be a beaver. Delaney, 37
... I will still be young at heart. Monika
... I want to be surrounded by my favorite people in the world, the people who I love and who love me. I want to appreciate good health and happiness, never doubt myself and always give back to those who may need a helping hand. Marjorie
... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjEnjW43VbI. Christopher
... I don't want to grow out. Mark
... I want to write a science fiction book. Wai-ke, 33
... I want to know that I have traveled the world the best I could have. Todd, 43
... I wanna be famous, I wanna be a star, I wanna be in movies. Miguel, 31
... I want to be the President of the Philippines. Mutya, 31
... I want to ensure that my children are self sufficient and I am able to live my life without worries. Felecia, 41
Comments
Smile Revolution…do it…I’m totally IN!
Great blog. At first, the question made me think back to what I wanted to be as a kid, then my adult brain told me to give a grown up answer. So here’s what little Celina really wanted to say – when I grow up I want to run around bringing smiles to people’s faces. Having a stranger return back a smile brightens any day. I want to start a Smile Revolution. Imagine how bright each day would be? Oh, and I also want to grow up to see beauty pagent contenstants get what they want and see Mutya as President of the Philippines.
Thank YOU… I would also like a Chia Pet ;-)