It's so fun to talk to kids about what they want to be when they grow up. My kid is a typical boy. The answer is usually baseball player or race car driver. What I love about kids is that they say what they really mean, from the heart. They don't think about how much money the job will pay or what obstacles stand in the way. Little boys don't see any reason they can't be a professional ball player. They love to play ball and so they think that is what they should do. Makes sense, doesn't it?
I've started asking new clients that question when I first meet them. So many of them are burdened and unhappy because of the stress they encounter at work. They are tired and beaten down. They dread Monday morning so much that they can't even tolerate Sunday nights anymore. Ask them what they want to be and a dreamy look comes over them. Maybe even a small smile as they think of something that could have made them truly happy.
As a preschooler, I wanted to be a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. Wouldn't that be fun? In middle school, I wanted to be an archeaologist. I thought it would be so fun to find old stuff and examine it. No one told me that this would include hours of tedious digging and almost no salary. Another good career prospect was sun screen tester. I was certain, at age 14, that there must be people who would have to test the sun screen. As much as I loved tanning, I was sure to be the best candidate for the job. Skin cancer? Wrinkles? Neither mean a thing to a 14 year old!
If you asked me now, I would tell you I'm pretty content. Once I realized that testing sunscreen was really a ludicrous idea, it became clear to me that I wanted to do something in medicine. Even then, I tried many avenues before finally settling into mental health. Lately, it has crossed my mind that I would love to get certified as a personal trainer, teach yoga classes, or write for a fitness magazine. These days, those dreams don't seem so ludicrous.
Think about it. Maybe you can't change what you do. You might be stuck in your job or career. Perhaps the pay or the benefits are too good to give up. Certainly, the job market isn't open to much change right now. Or maybe, like me, you are content with what you are doing. But what other dreams do you have? If you could have a second career, what would it be? And what would it take for you to get there?
Trying something new can teach you a lot about yourself. If you had told me five years ago that I should think about a career in fitness, I would have died laughing. Hard, gut wrenching laughter. But that laughter would have been more about self doubt, lack of confidence, and fear of the unknown than it would have been about anything really funny.
Many of you have joined me in a commitment to run a 5K or half marathon this fall. Lots of you have never done anything like this before. Do you know how brave you are? Do you know how much I admire you? And most of all, do you have any idea how excited I am to see you succeed? For some of you, I know you still have doubts about this accomplishment, which is certainly a normal way to feel. You'll probably have some fear and doubt until you cross the finish.
But you will cross the finish, and do you know what will happen? You will start asking yourself, what else can I do? When you accomplish something big, it opens doors all over your life. Whether you want to take it further and run a marathon, go back to school, or take on any other challenge, you will be equipped to handle anything. So start dreaming. What do you want to be when you grow up?
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