Apr 15, 2021
Do we choose our life path too early in life?
One question that we get asked very early on from adults around us is “what do you want to be when you grow up?”. This seemingly innocent question can be a very tricky one as it plants the seed of future occupation, robbing us of the childhood freedom.
I sometimes feel that adults are looking for ideas for themselves when they ask this question to young kids, as they normally come up with many creative answers.
Most kids are very creative and have a vivid sense of imagination. They are able to pick up things very quickly and adapt to most environments, making full use of their senses, seeing objects, touching them to feel the surface and trying to smell everything in their surroundings. They gain a very good understanding of the world in their ripe old age.
Maybe it is for this reason that we expect them to know everything and ask this question of who they want to be!
What we don’t realise is that this question stays in their subconscious minds and their identity starts forming around their response to this question.
It’s good to be aware self-aware. However, it is not always in the child’s best interest to know what they want to be when they grow up. Especially at a very young age. This does more harm than good, as it starts robbing the child of their inner curiosity. The same curiosity which makes them super learners at such a young age.
As they start settling into their identity, they pay less and less attention to their curious nature, which in-turn starts fading away.
Why do you think children learn most of the stuff while they are still toddlers?
Sure, they don’t know anything about trigonometry, geology, history or how to write an essay. But they have learnt how to move their hands and feet, walk, run, eat, speak and understand their surroundings. I would argue that these are way more important skills than knowing when world war 2 took place.
Many adults struggle with learning a second language. But it’s not uncommon to see 3 year olds speaking multiple languages if their parents are from different backgrounds and many languages are spoken in their surroundings. For them, it’s normal and they simply learn to speak all the languages they hear.
The trouble starts when we start telling them that something is hard or that they should be doing this or that. This gives room to self doubt as they start believing that what they know isn’t good enough and they should listen to the adults around them.
Little do they know that most adults are clueless themselves about most things in life.
We have long been playing follow the follower game and this ends taking away our ability to think on our feet.
Most of us decide our career path at some point in our teens. The age when we are not considered wise enough to do many things and are not taken seriously as we are not adults yet. But we are considered old enough to pick a career that will determine how our life will play out over the next 40–50 years. Isn’t this strange?
Have you noticed any changes in yourself since you were a teen? Would you even call yourself the same person?
While many of our personalities change dramatically over the years. Our career choices stick with us; and sometimes result in constant dissatisfaction with our lives if they do not align with our changed personalities.
Most of us go hard on ourselves in times of despair, reminding of the privileges, the nice house, car etc. But we have to be more understanding of ourselves and know that it’s okay to feel discontent in what would appear to be great circumstances, as we may simply have grown to be a very different human being. It may be time to explore your creative spirit again!
Taking care of yourself is the most selfless thing you can do for those around you. You can only share happiness if you are happy yourself.
