Every kid loved being asked the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” It was a question that opened the door leading to an infinite amount of paths and sheer opportunity. You were happy to share your ambitious ideas because they were just so exciting. At that point in your life, you could say essentially anything you wanted because there were no "boundaries" stopping you. No one has told you “You can’t,” and you believed in yourself more probably more than you do now. You didn't care about the wages of the job you chose or the amount of schooling it may take to get there, because to you, the only thing that mattered was what you loved and what would make you happy.
As the years go by, most people start to get increasingly less excited when they are asked that question. Some doors have closed, some have opened, but you inevitably narrow down your choices. That question often brings up thoughts that remind you that you may have no idea what you’re doing. It doesn’t mean that that the opportunities have gone away, it's just the way many choose to view it. It’s hard not to see it that way, because as you refine your areas of study, and you focus on learning specific skills it seems as if you can’t turn back. Wait, stop for a second. Who said you couldn’t turn around and start over? The way I like to see it is that you basically have the same amount of possibilities open now as you did back then, you just have to find them and act on it.
When I was younger, I wanted to be a seamstress. I’m not sure why -- I never really liked sewing and I had hardly any patience when trying to learn. What was important though was that I had no idea what the profession involved-- I didn’t think about the obstacles or the typically low salary paired with tedious work. I didn’t even know how to sew, and I barely understood what a seamstress did. But none of that mattered because I didn't care about the details, I knew what I wanted and I was confident to admit it. Why can't we do that now?
Of course, my ideas of what I wanted to be when I grew up have changed and are still changing. The truth is, I’m in college and it’s the best time to not know what you are doing in the future. In fact, it’s even better than when you were a kid with a completely clean slate. You have more power over what you want to pursue, and you have a lot of the resources right in front of you.
If you aren’t sure what you want to be, why can’t you try to adopt the same mindset you had as a child? It will certainly create more ideas. You don't have to commit to one profession either, it's not set in stone. I still have no idea what job I want, I just know that I love writing and I know it will lead me somewhere after college. I encourage you to keep your mind open and let your imagination run wild. Who knows, maybe you will grow up to be that superhero or princess you wanted to be as a kid!
