26 Jul
Who Do I Want To Become?
What do I want to do when I grow up?
I remember being asked the all important question every child faces on an almost daily basis, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I quickly became frustrated with that question because it seemed no one wanted to get to know who I was, they only wanted to know what I wanted to become. As a child, I couldn’t care less what I would become so I would often announce my career choice based on what ever happened to impact me that day. Seldom, if ever, did any of those announcements carry with it the weight of “WHO” I was to become, only what I wanted to do with my life.
I also remember one particular day when I looked up at my father and said with all my might and the largest smile I could muster, “I want to be a good and wise man when I grow up.” I was quickly admonished for not thinking about what to do with my life, but I kept that lofty goal in my heart where it would remain safe and sound till I could once again look upon its innocent wisdom. In the past few months I have often sat alone with myself in quiet contemplation thinking back to that day when I boldly stated who I wanted to be, rather than what I wanted to be. Little did I know that one day would have such a lasting and permanent effect on my being.
“WHAT” we want to do with our lives changes greatly from time to time throughout our lives, but “WHO” we want to be should be the foundation of our entire way of life, and not just something to which we aspire, but actually something practiced and honed which will, in the long run, give us that personal sense of accomplishment and value.
Well, I’ve long sense grown and still find myself constantly evolving and growing, and I still ask myself the questions, “What do I want to do?”, and “Is this all there is?” I find very little solace in empty answers. But when I change my question to “Who do I want to become” suddenly the doors open wide and the limits disappear.
We are a people who constantly reinvent ourselves, but we are also on a evolutionary road. We have the opportunity to become greater than the sum of our parts and grow into the type of being we wish to be, rather than focus on our life’s career path.
Let’s face facts, the career choice will always be an issue. Do I work here, or there? Do I change jobs? Do I become a doctor, or take a different career path? Do I go back to school and do something else with my life? These are all questions we face throughout our lives.
Our internal personal growth, however, should remain fairly constant and maintain a singular focus on our internal being. It may vary from time to time, but “WHO” we are should seldom, if ever change. Sitting with ourselves and truly examining our core help us to grow in ways we may never have allowed ourselves to contemplate.
For you parents, it is nice to have children who can support themselves and do well in the world, but is that all there is? Is that all you want for your child? Try asking the truly difficult question and see what happens. Instead of the usual, ask “WHO do you want to become?”
My answer is: Me. If your answer is that you want to be like someone else, then perhaps sit in silence with yourself and try to discover why you would rather be someone other than yourself.
Peace to all.
Related articles
- Return to Nothingness (3quarksdaily.com)
- Jan Shepherd: Living a Life With Meaning (huffingtonpost.com)
- Mid Career Advice (tobiasbuckell.com)
