• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About John Hembree
  • Blog

John Hembree

An Everyday Expression of Hope and Its Potential

An Everyday Expression of Hope 

When I Grow Up…

July 25, 2019 by John Hembree Leave a Comment

“What did you want to be when you were growing up?”

While facilitating leadership classes the morning’s introduction of those present will at times include this question.

Typically a number of people will say, doctor, lawyer, veterinarian, pilot, professional athlete, etc.

Yet sometimes, and more than a few times someone will say, garbage man, musician, and other professions that when young, a child may not say.  They may think it, yet not say it, at least out loud.

After those in the class have introduced themselves, I will follow up with my own what I wanted to be while growing up.

My answer is always the same, Reggie Jackson, the famous New York Yankee, who hit three home runs in one World Series game.  The other dream I had as a child was to be a writer.  I tell the class one of those I have been able to attain…that would be a writer.

Then I take a moment to encourage the class to not give up on their childhood dream.

They may not fly a jet, be a neurosurgeon, or be a professional athlete.

However, they can attain a pilots license for small aircraft, be a volunteer at a rehabilitation center for brain injuries or coach and / or sponsor a little league team.

Then I give them an example from history itself.

Avi Socho, who I have been reading about since childhood, remains one of most renown political and military strategists in history.

And, Avi Socho did not begin in this role as a political and military strategist until he was into his eight decade.

Unbelievable!

He did not know what he was going to do when he grew up until he was eighty two years old.

Now, in our case.

Why should we give up, give in and give away the dream we had as a child?

It was there for a reason.

At the time it was as real as anything else in life.

Now in your case.

You could see it, you knew you could do it, if only given the chance, if the opportunity would only present itself.

Maybe today is your chance.

Possibly tomorrow is when the opportunity will present itself.

I usually end my brief introduction to the class with, “If it wasn’t real to you then, you would not have been able to recall it now, years later.”

So…what do you want to be when you grow up?

You still can…be.


Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Filed Under: Email, General, Slideshow

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe

Get Email Updates

* indicates required
/ ( mm / dd )

Recent Posts

Okay

T.J. Sutton

What Could Be More Beautiful?

I Love You Softly

Exclusive Property

Come On In!

THE RICH AND THE POOR

Recent Comments

  • Emily on 61
  • Mere on An Incomplete Circle- An Unfinished Life
  • Emily on Reaching Forward…Each New Day
  • Emily on Not A Resolution..More Of A Resolve
  • Dan Davis on I Am Inescapable

Footer

  • Privacy Policy

© Copyright 2008-2021 · All Rights Reserved · Website by TecAdvocates

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkPrivacy policy