What Did You Want To Be When You Grew Up

Home
>
Attraction
>
What Did You Want To Be When You Grew Up

What Did You Want To Be When You Grew Up

When I was seven years old I wanted to be an author. Not a writer, but an author. As in, "guy who writes books." Why I chose that career, I'm not sure. Maybe I liked writing. Maybe I thought books were cool. Or maybe it was just the first answer I could come up with.

The truth is, I never really gave it much thought.

That is, not until one random day about 6 months ago when I was giving a speech to a group of 7th graders. I started telling these kids about the two books I'd written when it hit me like a ton of books. Yes, books ? not bricks.

Oh my God! I thought. I really AM an author!

At that moment I realized that there truly is something to be said about the career aspirations of kids. You see, the younger a person is the less likely his hopes and dreams are to be influenced by his parents, peers, money, fame or even college major. After all, when you're seven years old - you don't know anything, you just talk from your heart.

Unfortunately, somewhere down the line kids stop using their hearts and begin using their heads. And the result is: they think too much.

Don't get me wrong. Thinking is good. But sometimes, you just have to listen to your heart.

Now I know that's a bit cliché. To be honest with you, I don't even know how the whole "listen to your heart" process works. It's probably different for everybody.

But I DO believe that success leaves clues. And I DO believe that certain experiences in our lives are indicators of our true nature.

A few years ago I read an interview in Spin magazine with Bono, one of my heroes and also one of the great rock stars of my time. When asked about the musical development of U2's songs, Bono quoted Michelangelo and said, "The sculpture is already in the stone."

The sculpture is already in the stone. I never forgot that.

That means every time Michelangelo sat down to sculpt one of his many masterpieces, the piece was already finished. All he had to do was chip away.

That means every time Bono and his band mates sat around the studio to record a track for their next classic album, the song was already complete. All they had to do was chip away.

I think people are the same way. When each of us is born, we're nothing but a big block of stone. Blank, untouched and unformed. But every single day of our lives is like a piece of that stone is being chipped away by our experiences. And eventually, there will come a time ? probably some random Tuesday at 2:30 PM ? when we will look in the mirror at what used to be a plain old block of stone, and see a great masterpiece: the sculpture of the person we were born to be.

And when that moment comes, my GOD...it's beautiful. It reminds me of a great quotation I recently heard from best selling author and NSA past president Mark Sanborne, "There are two great moments in a person's life: the moment he was born and the moment he realizes WHY he was born."

Scott Ginsberg is a professional speaker, "The World's Foremost Expert on Nametags" and the author of HELLO my name is Scott and The Power of Approachability. He helps people MAXIMIZE their approachability and become UNFORGETTABLE communicators - one conversation at a time. For more information contact Front Porch Productions at http://www.hellomynameisscott.com.

In The News:

Yahoo! News: Top Stories

Obama has lunch with 4 presidents (AP)

AP - President-elect Barack Obama hailed a rare Oval Office gathering of all U.S. presidents as an extraordinary event on Wednesday as the current occupant, President George W. Bush, reminded his predecessors and successor that the office "transcends the individual."

Obama names special watchdog for federal spending (AP)

AP - President-elect Barack Obama said Wednesday that reforming massive government entitlement programs Â— such as Social Security and Medicare Â— would be "a central part" of his effort to control federal spending.

Burris expects to join Senate 'very shortly' (AP)

AP - Roland Burris said Wednesday he should be able to join the Senate "very shortly," after talking to newly supportive Democratic leaders and working on lingering legal obstacles.

2009 budget deficit is estimated at $1.2 trillion (AP)

AP - The federal budget deficit will nearly triple to an unprecedented $1.2 trillion for the 2009 budget year, according to grim new Congressional Budget Office figures.

Israel orders brief halt, then Gaza fight resumes (AP)

AP - Israeli airstrikes and Hamas rockets resumed after a brief pause Wednesday to allow food and fuel to reach Palestinian civilians in Gaza, where an Israeli warplane dropped leaflets urging some residents to flee because of imminent attacks.

Heavy rain causing flooding across South (AP)

AP - Heavy rain across the South on Wednesday caused flooding, school and road closures and a landslide that destroyed a home in North Carolina.

Mississippi has highest teen birth rate, CDC says (AP)

AP - Mississippi now has the nation's highest teen birth rate, displacing Texas and New Mexico for that lamentable title, a new federal report says. Mississippi's rate was more than 60 percent higher than the national average in 2006, according to new state statistics released Wednesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The teen birth rate for that year in Texas and New Mexico was more than 50 percent higher.

Jay-Z to play concert on eve of Obama inauguration (AP)

AP - Jay-Z isn't performing at President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration, but he is planning to make a big splash on the eve of the event.

Man open's up neighbor's door with chain saw (AP)

AP - An eastern Pennsylvania man may face up to 37 years in prison for tearing open a neighbor's door with a chain saw. Police say 34-year-old Robert Kane began sawing through the front door of Jamie Zaleski's apartment in Scranton while Zaleski and several friends ran out the back.

Jason Giambi returns to roots with Oakland A's (AP)

AP - Jason Giambi is returning to his professional baseball roots with the Oakland Athletics. Giambi and the A's finalized a $5.25 million, one-year contract with an option Wednesday, bringing the free-agent designated hitter and first baseman back to the place he began his big league career. The sides had reached a preliminary agreement earlier this week but Giambi still needed to complete the obligatory physical for the deal to get done.

Budget deficit to hit $1.2 trillon (Reuters)

Reuters - The U.S. budget deficit will swell to a record $1.186 trillion in fiscal 2009, congressional forecasters said on Wednesday, presenting President-elect Barack Obama with a daunting economic challenge.

Israel, Hamas briefly hold fire to allow Gaza aid (Reuters)

Reuters - Hundreds of embattled Palestinians ventured outside to shop for food on Wednesday during a three-hour Gaza truce, a first step toward an Egyptian-proposed ceasefire under discussion by Israel and Hamas.

Union gears up for negotiations with GM and Chrysler (Reuters)

Reuters - United Auto Workers bargaining teams are arriving this week in Detroit as the union gears up for negotiations with General Motors Corp and Chrysler LLC, which are mandated to cut labor costs under a $17.4 billion federal bailout.

Senate Democrats seen moving to seat Burris (Reuters)

Reuters - In an abrupt switch, Senate Democratic leaders began talks on Wednesday about swearing in former Illinois attorney general Roland Burris, nominated by embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich to replace President-elect Barack Obama in the Senate.

Salmonella outbreak sickens 388 across U.S.: CDC (Reuters)

Reuters - An outbreak of salmonella food poisoning has made 388 people sick across 42 states, sending 18 percent of them to the hospital, U.S. health officials said on Wednesday.

Private job losses mount, ominous for payrolls (Reuters)

Reuters - Job losses and plans to lay off workers hammered the struggling U.S. economy in the final month of 2008, according to private reports that could foreshadow surprisingly grim labor market data from the government on Friday.

Gates says Afghan surge may cost $5.5 billion in FY09 (Reuters)

Reuters - Defense Secretary Robert Gates has told Congress that a planned buildup of U.S. forces in Afghanistan could add $5.5 billion to U.S. war costs in the current federal fiscal year, officials said on Wednesday.

U.S. says Madoff sent diamonds in violation of bail (Reuters)

Reuters - One of the packages accused swindler Bernard Madoff sent in violation of a court order contained about 13 watches, a diamond necklace and other valuables worth more than $1 million, prosecutors said in court papers released on Wednesday.

Israel approves tougher war on Hamas (AFP)

AFP - Israel on Wednesday approved an even tougher war on Hamas, warning residents to flee southern Gaza ahead of planned bombardments of cross-border tunnels, as the Palestinian death toll passed 700.

Kremlin lays down terms as gas crisis engulfs Europe (AFP)

AFP - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday laid down terms for a resumption of Russian gas shipments via Ukraine to Europe as tens of thousands of Europeans suffered heating cuts amid freezing weather.

What Did You Want To Be When You Grew Up

Attraction Attraction