Who Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?

Last night I had the following conversation with my 5-year old son:

Him: Mom, what do you want to be when you grow up?

Me: Umm…your mom!

Him: You’re already that! You have to be something different.

Me: What’s wrong with being a mom, teacher, and piano player?

Him: That stuff’s not important.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

We start asking kids this question at a very young age and really never stop asking them until they get a “real” job. 

Children take exams very early on to help them determine what career field they are “best suited for.”  I think the first PSAT I took said I’d be good at something like Forest Management.  I suppose Smokey and I could still team up to prevent forest fires.

In high school or sometimes even middle school, kids are told to choose a path of study to prepare them for a certain course of study in college which prepares them for their future career.

And then, if you haven’t decided by then, you’re facing pricey college programs which are your final chance to decide what you really want to be when you grow up!

Too Soon

My 5-year old wants to be a firefighter-doctor-veterinarian-police-EMT-train conducting-construction worker and I think that’s great!  There’s no reason for him to narrow his choice down to a certain thing at this age. The world is his to explore and discover! 

I believe the same can be said for middle and high school students as well!  

At a time where education is less expensive (often free) is the best time to explore a variety of fields.  Why narrow your field of focus so soon?

A more important question

I believe a more important question to ask students and adults alike is this:

WHO do you want to be when you grow up?

My son loves helping!  He loves to help clean. He loves to help his sister get into and out of the car. He loves to help me grade homework or put laundry away or bake cookies.  He loves to help!

His diverse career choice listed above is actually pretty consistent with his desire to help people! Isn’t that what fire fighters, doctors, construction workers, train drivers, and all those others do?

Who do you want to be when you grow up?

Years ago I read a book called 40 Days to the Work You Love by Dan Miller.  He led readers through an exercise that distilled their skills into a few key points. 

In the past fifteen years of employment at a Christian bookstore, a music production company, an insurance agent’s office, and a variety of music schools and churches, I’ve discovered that I am someone who loves 1) learning new things and 2) sharing them with others in order to 3) help them succeed!

If I only see myself as a musician who also has a degree in business (what I wanted to be when I grew up), that limits my outlook on future opportunities.  If something comes by that has nothing to do with music, I would pass it up in a heartbeat.

Knowing that who I am is more important than what I do opens up a world of choices!

If I have the chance to learn something new and share it with someone else to help them succeed, I will likely enjoy it, whether it’s music related or not.

The most important thing

In all that you do, remember that who you are is more important than what you do.  It’s difficult for us to separate the two, but it is possible.

In his book The Forgotten Way, Ted Dekker said that what you do are simply roles the true you plays in this world. 

Who I am is a daughter of God through Christ Jesus.

I am a daughter of God who mothers children, teaches students, and plays the piano.

I guess my son was right.  Being a mom, a teacher, and a piano player are not important things. 

Not as important as who I am, a daughter of God who loves to learn, share, and help others!

Take some time today to consider: who do you want to be when you grow up?