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When I Grow Up....

The other week my friend asked me what I want to be when I grow up. And I was stumped. In fact, it is a question that I have been contemplating since then. It is a question that has kept me tossing and turning, night after night

What do I want to be when I grow up.?

What will define me?

But that’s just it. I don’t want to be defined by any one thing. I can't be the defined by any one thing.

And so I changed the question around a bit. I am no longer going to focus on ‘what I want to be.’ Rather I am going to focus on something much more important: Who I want to be.

And oh, how much easier it is to answer that question!


I want to be...

A Dreamer


A Lover


A Good Daughter and Sister




Vibrant




A Writer




Silly




A Student




Spontaneous



A musician



Kind



A Pet Lover



Free-Spirited




A Traveler




A Friend




Brave




Full of Child-Like Wonder




A Dancer




Extraordinary




Happy







It does not matter if I end up doing this for a living:






Or this




Or this








Or this





Because it doesn't define me. It is not me. It’s just one small part of a myriad of things that comprise who I am. And who I want to be.





So who do you want to be when you grow up?




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Comments

Gentri said…
I absolutely love this! I was asked this question recently too and didn't like it one bit. But I love the spin you put on it! Plus all these pictures are fantastic! Please tell me that brave picture is fake...
July 11, 2011 at 2:30 PM
Ann said…
All the things you want to be...
they're awesome, just don't lose touch of the real you and your passion for life ♥

Love all those lovely pics,
they say a lot ♥
July 11, 2011 at 2:55 PM
nancy said…
I love this post. I have decided that I can't handle the thought of doing one job for the rest of my life. I want to keep learning and searching and adventuring and travelling for as long as I can, while the world is still mine for the taking!
July 11, 2011 at 2:57 PM
SJ said…
i always feel like when you meet someone new, you have this very small opportunity to introduce yourself properly. Asking what you do is an easy conversation starter but I always want to say 'but that's not all! i do all sorts of stuff when I'm not at work! work doesn't define me!'

and yep, you should definitely come up to sydney, the weather is perfect at the moment. lachlan is heading to the snow on the weekend so i'm glad to hear it's colder south of here :)
July 11, 2011 at 3:09 PM
Autumn @ Autumn All Along said…
Thanks for sharing, I love your perspective!
July 11, 2011 at 3:16 PM
Tuesdai Noelle said…
This is such a cute post... :)

When I grow up? Too late for this question, but, nonetheless hehe...

Imaginary...
Adventurous...
A Pink Elephant that read poem from MacBeth...
A wisher of wishes...
A renown designer (handbags)
The ones who everyone runs to for a laugh (mastered this already)

...that's all I can think of this very second :)

lettersinatreehouse.blogspot.com
July 11, 2011 at 3:47 PM
withoutizy said…
Beautiful post. My response to this question is always "happy" - everything else in between doesn't matter so much :-) I love that Miss Dior photo with the balloons, it's so dreamy!
July 11, 2011 at 6:37 PM
Unknown said…
I love it!! I also think that growing up is not an end destination. Not something that you achieve or arrive at. "When I grow up" is kind of like the elusive tomorrow... it never quite gets there. It's a continual work in progress.
July 11, 2011 at 6:45 PM
Miss H said…
Such a cool twist on such a hard question! I loved your responses :)
July 11, 2011 at 7:10 PM
Paige Hadley said…
The things that you want to be... well, what can I say? They're beautiful! And I think that you're most of them already.

I would like to be: witty, fun, vibrant, trustworthy, kind, sisterly, a reader, and a writer. I will probably think of more later!

Thankyou for your food for thought. It'd just like the mention that your posts have been really thought provoking lately - every time I read them, I have to think quite deeply about myself and it's always very refreshing and significant for me to have this oppertunity. So thankyou. Take care.

Ps. How funny is that that you've read the same book? When did you read it? For school or for fun?
July 11, 2011 at 9:00 PM
Eleanor at Mirror Of My World said…
id like to be a lot of what you said. but id add one more: a giver. to give to the world as much as i can! but i love this list. being a good daughter, sister, friend, being vibrant and happy and a traveller are all wonderful. x
July 11, 2011 at 9:03 PM
Sal {Daniel and I} said…
Fabulous post! So many options but I think you have your head screwed on enough to see the truth behind it all.

Sal x

http://danielandi.blogspot.com
July 11, 2011 at 9:47 PM
Anonymous said…
I think that's a very good list of who you want to be. I think I agree with the most part (for who I want to be).

I also agree with you on the fact that your job doesn't define who you are. Nice post!
July 11, 2011 at 9:53 PM
ellie said…
Sweet post. I know I used to want to be the best friend you could be..but it all starts with being the best friend to yourself. I think it starts with ingenuity too. Then there is always being kind but to define it..can be a lot more complicated than you think.
July 11, 2011 at 9:57 PM
erleichda said…
well. i have grown up to be what i dreamed when younger... sympathetic and eccentric ; )
July 11, 2011 at 11:05 PM
Unknown said…
great post love these images
July 12, 2011 at 1:00 AM
amy b.s. said…
i think those are all good things to want to be when we grow up.
July 12, 2011 at 1:10 AM
Alex said…
That was lovely! We should all aspire to be these things!
July 12, 2011 at 1:28 AM
~BB~ said…
I love this! I am in the same boat - and I hate being asked what I will be! I want to do and be so many things! Thank you so much for sharing this - you were able to put it into words I could not find.

~BB
July 12, 2011 at 2:36 AM
Anonymous said…
When I was a kid I wanted to be Roma. Now...I want to be fulfilled, loved, loving, well-rounded, and happy, natch!
July 12, 2011 at 5:54 AM
k said…
sometimes i feel like i'm grown up but sometimes i'm still thinking about what i want to be :) this is a fun post!
July 12, 2011 at 7:13 AM
Bonnie said…
This comes at a perfect time for me. It is like you can read my mind. Identity Crisis 101 -- This should be a class. I hate that question of what you want to be. How lame. I prefer your spin -- WHO you want to be. THAT should be taught in Identity Crisis 101. Who you are is way more important than what you are career-wise, anyway.

http://www.glamkittenslitterbox.com/
Twitter: @GlamKitten88
July 12, 2011 at 10:09 AM
Jo said…
This is great!! And, I have a feeling you are already all of these things, and more! :)
July 12, 2011 at 3:02 PM
Anna said…
Such a lovely post! I was gonna say the same thing as Jo, I'm sure you are all those things already, or most of them anyway. And grown up never really comes, at least it hasn't for me! Lets be those things NOW and the future will take care of itself. You've inspired me.
AnnaXXX
July 12, 2011 at 7:20 PM
Jillian said…
I also want to be a traveler! If I could do that for a living...sigh.

Career-wise, I have no idea. I just want to be happy and satisfied with whatever I'm doing. Maybe work for myself somehow? I'm still thinking about how I would go about that.

You're making me think over here!
July 12, 2011 at 9:53 PM
vintch said…
i want to be all those things too, and you've put it perfectly! i just want to be content no matter what the circumstance...that's all i really need. LOVE the hot dog man picture:)
July 13, 2011 at 12:53 AM
Poppies and Sunshine said…
Who you want to be is so much more important than what you do anyway I think! Great post!
July 13, 2011 at 2:38 AM
Joyti said…
What a beautiful post! There are so many lovely things to be in the world.
July 13, 2011 at 2:54 AM
Ashley said…
Love!

I want to play a banjo on the moon as well!!! :D

I want to be many of things you mentioned, with writer and traveler topping the list :)
July 13, 2011 at 5:43 AM
Aquí said…
you nailed it! These are all things I aspire to be when I grow up! Its true, work doesnt always define you!
July 13, 2011 at 6:11 AM
Caffeinated Weka said…
How lovely! I usually answer that question by saying that I don't want to grow up, as growing up brings expectations and connotations of things that I don't want to get caught up in, but I prefer your way of looking at it. :-)
July 13, 2011 at 6:58 AM
Deidre said…
I think it would matter slightly if I had to be a hotdog.
July 13, 2011 at 7:27 AM
Tuesdai Noelle said…
I've heard of Arrested Development, I think...and I laugh when I hear it too. It just so random like, "Are y'all for real, like really for real??" #retireoldmen aha.
July 13, 2011 at 10:21 AM
Tuesdai Noelle said…
I've heard of Arrested Development, I think...and I laugh when I hear it too. It just so random like, "Are y'all for real, like really for real??" #retireoldmen aha.
July 13, 2011 at 10:21 AM
kimbirdy said…
eeeeexactly! and aren't you already all of those things? i think so. check!
July 13, 2011 at 12:07 PM
shopgirl said…
So wisely said!! I am with you. We spend so much of our time and lives on this and really why do we do it?....we are always evolving, therefore, we can do anything we want to and we can wear many hats and be anything and everything our hearts' desire!

xoxo
July 13, 2011 at 9:25 PM
theappletea said…
The post is great!!! awesome picture story!

I would like to be good person and great-fun mum :)

Best!
July 14, 2011 at 4:00 PM
Newlymeds said…
Great post! And great pictures to go along with it!
July 15, 2011 at 1:40 AM
Brissa said…
i love this. shifting the focus from what you want to DO to who you want to BE is wonderful. thank you for the post!
oh, and is that girl SERIOUSLY jump roping on top of a building?!?!
July 15, 2011 at 6:43 AM
JanandJill.com said…
This is such a cute thoughtful post. i think kids are asked this question and once a person hits their 20's it just stops, but people should keep asking it because of all the amazing things you want to be. It's a hard question and I think the answer changes and the list gets added too every year I get older. I know I want to be a successful blogger...hehe,

Following you now
xoDale
www.savvyspice.blogspot.com
July 15, 2011 at 1:18 PM
kellichristinecase said…
YAY! i loveeee this so much! i'm a free spirited dreamer who needs fresh air and movement. i'm inspired.
July 16, 2011 at 3:25 AM
Lily said…
This was lovely!
July 18, 2011 at 12:27 PM
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