I read an article recently—I can’t link to it—I was on my phone and don’t have any clue where it went, where I read it, who wrote it, or anything like that, so I apologize for not being able to point you in the direction that started this thought-process in my brain—about how you should chose your career.  I think it was written more for the mid-life range of people, but don’t quote me on that one.

The premise of the article is whatever you wanted to be when you were ten years old is the best fitting job for you in life.  Many people follow other paths.  They attend college to study what their parents or grandparents expect them to study.  They graduate and then go into careers that they were expected to go into.  Many of them (not all) end up hating their jobs, their lives, themselves, yada yada…but so many people turn to see what they wanted to be and do – and for some reason what you wanted to be/do at the age of ten turned out to be the sweet spot and that perfect career for you. 

I guess what you wanted to be when you were ten is where your heart truly lies, where your passion actually lives.

What did you want to be when you were ten?  Do you remember?  Is that what you are doing now?

When I was ten, I was still drawing, but mostly I was writing (poetry, for the most part) and I was studying.  Studying everything my dad would bring to me.  Reading tons of books from the library.  (I read every Black Beauty book written.  And then some.)

I remember … wanting to be good.  Religion was deeply important.  Writing was extremely important to me.  Learning was exceptionally important.  Helping people, reaching out to people, reaching people, that was important to me as well.

Then … we moved … and my life was a shipwreck for a long time … because I had had plans… and not only were they thwarted, I felt as if I had been thrown away.  I fell adrift for a long time, even though I tried to continue writing.  Any time I fell too deep into too many emotions, I stopped writing.  Some days that still happens.

However, I still write.  I study.  I love learning for the sake of learning.  Religion is still deeply important.  Helping people is still what I want to do.  More than anything else, I want to help people, let them know they are not alone, let them know others are there to help.  Teach others that there are others way to be, to react, to explore. 

I guess that is my thing.  Now that I am older, I have a better idea of how to describe what I want to do: I want to help people learn how to help themselves.  Because for my entire life I have been fighting to learn how to do that myself.  I may never have all the answers, but I can and will and do give all that I can.

So, tell me, what did you want to be when you were ten years old when you grew up? Let me know in the comments.