When I Grow Up……

If you were ever a child – and who among us was not? – you were probably asked by someone, perhaps a teacher or a family member, “What do you want to do when you grow up?” I know I was asked this question, and I know I probably asked my own children this question too.   Do you remember your answer(s)?  What did you want to do when you grew up?  And how close was your answer back then to the person you’ve become?

Did you notice the shift there? The question morphed from “What do you want to do?” to “Who do you want to become?”  Regardless of your day job these days – firefighter, nurse, airplane pilot, parent, white-collar manager, table-waiter, teacher, cowboy, surgeon, actor/actress, cashier, antique dealer, engineer, etc. – WHO you ARE has probably become more important to you than WHAT you DO.  That’s a sign of maturity, so if you’re not there yet, hopefully you’re heading that direction.

So, today, as you “sit a spell”, you might want to ponder who you have become as you’ve grown up. You might not be able to make any change in what you DO, but if you’re not satisfied with who you ARE, you can start any time. Trying to make major changes overnight is probably unrealistic and impractical, a set-up for failure. Start with a few small goals and gradually work from there.  Enlist the help of a friend, perhaps a friend who wants to make a few positive changes too. A friend can help you monitor whether your transformation appears to be constructive and sincere. A really good friend will be honest enough to “call you out” if your modifications seem phony or contrived. And a really, really good friend will affirm and reinforce the growth and progress toward your goals in a way that will encourage you and keep you on track.  If you’re successful, chances are you’ll end up enjoying BEING the person you’ve become, even if that person is still DOING the same day job.

~ Linda Wood Astala (9-27-2017)