Looking Back to Go Forward

I was thinking the other day about how the number one question adults ask kids is "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Think for a moment... every answer reveals a deep part of a child's personality. Some careers are for helping people, some are for taking care of others, some are for sharing compassion, some are for having fun. Doctors, nurses, teachers, astronauts, cowboys, race car drivers, even dinosaurs (as one little boy I know is convinced he will be when he grows up!), all play characters that little boys and girls want to embody.

Now that I'm older, I'm asked a different version of the same question: "What are you studying?" "What are you planning?" What do you want to do with that degree?" and so on. I've been thinking that hopefully my current dreams are a reflection and a maturation of my previous dreams. When I was younger, I wanted to own a dance company and teach ballet.

Now, I'm studying marketing and management, and I want to run my own business. You can see the correlation: owning a business, and telling people what to do! :) What were and are your dreams? How are your past dreams reflected in your present dreams? Are they remotely related, or still the same? What part of your childhood dreams do you still want to embody, and how can you intertwine that into your present goals? Take a look backwards, and see if the past can shed some light on your future.