[Excerpt from my life]
“So what do you want to be when you grow up?”
As a child, my answer always consisted of a grocery list of professions. How could I choose one when there were so many good ones out there? Impossible. That’s as ridiculous as taking only one cookie when offered two. I would proudly recite my coveted professions like I would my times tables. But did I truly want to be a Navy SEAL? Was it my dream to be a doctor or lawyer? Maybe a fireman? Most definitely. I wanted to be them all.
That was more than a decade ago. Have I changed? A little. No longer do I want to be everything in the world. I realize that the root of that desire was not because I loved each profession. Quite the opposite, actually. I doubt that I would enjoy wading chest deep in icy surf with salt water stinging my eyes and throat. I despise the arduous hours doctors have to work. Lawyers are hated (many times wrongly) for being liars and don’t even ask how I would feel about a back-breaking support beam falling on top of me. What I love are the stereotypical characteristics that the best of each profession exhibits. Navy SEALs are mentally and physically tough with a toolbox of diverse skills. Doctors heal you. Lawyers protect you and your hard-earned money. Firemen save lives. At that time, my simple mind understood that these skills would be useful to have. Greedily, I wanted them all.
To worsen the situation, I have a character flaw – I’m never satisfied with what I accomplish. That is not to say I don’t appreciate any progress made but it does mean that my inherent greediness for more cookies keeps me focused on giving my everything to go beyond my current abilities as I strive to reach my potential. Though my father always warned of the dangers of undertaking too many things at once since you run the high risk of not being good at any of them, I will flatten that risk and prove that anything is possible. I will be unsurpassed in my passions and good at what is not. The kids sure have it right. Why take one mouth-watering cookie when you can take more?
Disclaimer: Following this philosophy can sometimes lead to frustration but the journey can be well worth it.
