Apparently, adulthood means picking one job, sticking with it forever, and giving up on magic. Ew.
The Character You Play Forever“Be careful, choose what character you play in your ‘TV pilot’ because if the show is successful, you have to play that character forever.” - Tim Ferris
My whole life, there has been this pervasive idea around the question “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
Like, it implies you can only be one thing. How limiting and boring.
Also, who gets to determine when one is “grown up”? And, honestly, who thinks being “grown up” is a good thing? (clearly not me)
Like it is celebrated that it is a good thing to leave behind the questioning of everything (said the Questionologist), the creativity in our thinking, the creating of magical places and stories in our minds, the freedom to explore and be goofy.
Multipotentialite Life (a.k.a. Raccoon Vomit-Free Living)
“They never promised to be one thing. They never latched on to one specific thing and went all in. They promised to be themselves, whatever that meant this day, week, month, or year.” - Justin Welsh
In walks the idea of being a multipotentialite (you can read more in Book Brew 147).
If it doesn’t suit you and the idea of choosing just ONE thing to be when you “grow up” doesn’t sound like two-day-old raccoon vomit, then by all means, stick with that one thing. Be the adult…we probably need a few of them around to keep chaos monsters like me in check.
Lost Boys, Crocodiles, and Never Growing Up
But that is not me. I thrive on mastering something and then moving on to the next thing. There are too many things in this world that I want to see, to do, to be, to laugh at, to learn…I don’t have time to limit myself to just one thing.
Also, I have no intention of ever growing up. I’ll happily join the Lost Boys and fight Captain Hook while encouraging Tick-Tock the Crocodile to eat him up (he is probably friends with a capybara after all…and any capybara friend is a friend of mine).
Finding Your Purple
I’ll end with an idea I read recently from Ozan Varol on “Finding Your Purple,” which is kinda perfect since purple is my favorite color:
“In my book Awaken Your Genius, I call this “finding your purple.” Here’s the backstory: Purple has always been my favorite color. But as a kid, when someone asked me my favorite color, I’d say blue. Because blue was what normal boys were supposed to like, and I really wanted to be normal.
That’s the trap—to trade in your purple for blue. To suppress what makes you you for something smoother, safer, more acceptable.
But here’s the paradox: what makes you different is also what makes you magnetic.
Your purple is your magnet. It draws in the right people with the same force it repels others.”
Ponder This
- If you could try on unlimited “characters” in your life’s TV show, which roles would you choose?
- Are you team Grown Up or team Lost Boys (Peter Pan version, not Kiefer version….or his version too, why not??)?
- What dream, hobby, or curiosity have you put on pause because it didn’t feel “grown up enough”?
Books/Newsletters
- The Saturday Solopreneur - Justin Welsh
- Ozan Varol newsletter
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