As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I must have been five or six years old when I received as a gift a nurse kit for kids, which included a stethoscope, a syringe with a plastic needle, and a white nurse hat. I loved it to bits. When asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I answered without a doubt that I wanted to be a nurse. I liked the idea of caring for others and making them feel better.

But prior to receiving the nurse kit, I had had a different view about what I wanted to become when I grew older. I was actually enjoying reciting poems in front of the video camera or on the stage, during the kindergarten plays. I was also enjoying singing and playing in the kindergarden’s end of year play. Before switching to becoming a nurse, I had initially wanted to become an actress. I loved to be part of a story and play a role and I was putting all my energy and artistic abilities (for that age) to perform. But then I decided to become a nurse. I am not sure why. I cannot remember. Perhaps I adapted my choices according to the facial expressions of my parents, when hearing my answers. Who knows?

Later on, during the first years of my primary school, I was asked by my grandfather what I wanted to become when I grew up. Candidly, I replied that I wanted to become a kindergarten teacher. I loved being around kids and playing with them. My aunt was a kindergarten teacher and she was a model for me. My grandfather objected. His answer implied that being a kindergarten teacher wouldn’t have been a good enough profession for me and that he was expecting a lot more from me. I was capable of a lot more, he told me. I agreed with him, seeking his approval and acceptance, as he probably knew better than me. I was just a child who wanted to be loved. That day I gave up my dream to become a kindergarten teacher, in exchange for acceptance.

And last but not least, this is me, around two years old, holding a fountain pen. I liked fountain pens a lot. And guess what, today I am still using fountain pens, and my two year-old son loves them too.

Childhood dreams are doors towards more meaning, happiness and satisfaction

Why am I sharing this? Because all the things that you used to like doing as a child or the things that you dreamed of doing when you would grow up are doors towards feelings of contentment, satisfaction, pleasure and, happiness. Your childhood dreams could also bring more meaning to your life, be it professional or personal, should you allow yourself the time to reflect.

As an adult, I did not become a nurse, an actress or an artist. Nor a kindergarten teacher. Initially I chose to study a domain that I thought would be approved by my parents. In high-school it was a complete hassle for me to study IT programming and mathematics, which were the main subjects, and were adding up to 10 hours a week per subject. However, my favourite subjects were literature, psychology and philosophy. They had nothing in common with the IT specialisation I had chosen in high-school.

And guess what, as an adult, I worked as a project manager in… IT. I was far from my childhood dreams. Then a very serious burnout occured, whcih brought a wide range of other health challenges. Little by little, I started to question my life choices and to get in touch with my inner-child. I did a great deal of self-reflection and inner-work, ranging from psychotherapy, to self-help reading, and one-on-one coaching. I explored how the « then and there » of the past was relevant for « the here and now » of the present and what messages were being brought. And little by little I started to make new choices.

Your inner child, a source for meaning and happiness

As a little girl I wanted to become an actress and an artist. Today I am using these « acting » and artistic talents whenever I facilitate laughter yoga workshops, which require a lot of improvisation, acting and spontaneity. I also used them in the rare occasions when I was on a (real) stage, performing a flamenco choreography at the end of year show. A few years ago I even took a theatre improvisation course, simply because I wanted to explore further my artistic side.

During pandemic I facilitated weekly laughter yoga workshops, in order to help people stay away from depression and anxiety, and to reconnect with the energy of the care-free child. And as I was practicing laughter yoga on a weekly basis, something happened within me. I became more easy-going, a bit more positive, I loosened up a bit, becoming less tense and more relaxed not only in by body, but also in my every day life.

As I reconnected more and more with my inner child, as I allowed my inner child to laugh more, to play and explore through the practice of laughter yoga, I started being aware of a little voice that was telling me that I wanted to have a child of my own. It is worth mentioning that due to my childhood experiences and also my teen years, I had persuaded myself not to have children, as a coping strategy. Purging the pain of the past through various types of therapy and practicing laughter yoga helped me reconsider that decision and open up to new options. I am a mother today and I play with my little one. I also sing with him and also with other parents and their babies and toddler, whilst I am hosting singing and playing sessions, part of an organisation for expat parents in Brussels.

As a little girl I wanted to become a nurse, to care for people and help them to feel beter. And this little girl’s wish has fueled my choice to reconvert to coaching focused on wellbeing, which is an indirect way to care and support others in order to help themselves feel better in their life, be it professional or personal, and follow their dreams. The little girl’s wish to help others heal, combined with her sensitivity, allowed me to explore body-mind practices such as somatic experiencing and embodiment, mindfulness and nature, and bring them in the coaching process, to better support my clients.

As a little girl I wanted to become a kindergarten teacher. Well, as you probably have figured it out, I have not become a kindergarten teacher, although I did take it into account when I was reflecting which new career path to take. Meanwhile I retrained as an adult trainer, and I specialised in using games based learning in my workshops and training. Every adult has a child within and learning does not have to be boring, making you tired and glued to the chair. Adult learning can become a lot more fun when using highly interactive serious games ( Thiagi ludo-pedagogy), which are adult learning techniques based on framed games, making learning more fun, engaging and lasting.

What about the fountain pens? Well, today I am a bit of a writer too, am I not?

And how about you? What did you want to become when you grew up? What childhood dreams did you have? And what would be a first step in getting closer to those dreams?

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Read also:

• A birthday present from me to you
• Are you ready for a change? Don’t wait for a burn-out to actually change something
• For the forever givers out there, you are also entitled to ask and receive

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