happiness

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” is the first is the meaningful question posed to us as kids. This mission statement is the guide to our college/trade school search. Then “what we do” is asked on our job applications, first dates, financial transactions (yadda, yadda). And then it goes on to the question, “what do your children/spouse do? As a result, our personal feelings of success are wrapped up in the reality of what we have been able to achieve in this narrow view. 

No wonder so many of us are utterly miserable.  Covid-19 and life problems have derailed that path to “working” success for many of us.  I know it has for me.  Isolation and the inability to enter a fog by going to events, shopping, and other activities with people around makes it sometimes feel unbearable. 

Going for a walk on a beautiful day I had an epiphany.  We should change the question to “Who do you want to be when you grow up?”.  What kinds of people do you want to be with?  Do you want to be creative? What activities put a smile on your face?  What impact do you want to have on others? Are there hobbies you want to explore, books you want to read, places you want to see? What do you need in your home to make you feel at peace?

When I asked myself who I want to be, I found I’ve reached my success after all and now I’m happy.