What do you want to be when you grow up?

What do you want to be when you grow up? Can you think of a better generational question than “what do you want to be when you grow up?'' I sometimes think adults ask kids because they are looking for ideas. 

It’s a question I asked my 9-year-old daughter a few months back. It’s a question of many questions I ask her. I want to ensure I’m doing my part as her Dad, to raise a strong confident daughter. Someone who will follow her dreams. 

She replied with an unsure smile, shoulder shrug followed with “I would love to be an author. Yeah Dad, when I grow up, I want to be an author and raise a bunch of money for dogs.” My follow up question "why do you have to wait until you grow up?"

Teaching entrepreneurship and philanthropy at a young age is not something I had as a life lesson at 9.  My dad was a 30 year truck driver and a good provider to boot.  My family has always been worker bee’s.  Work hard, save money and don’t go into debt.  Air conditioning was a luxury, we literally had 1-window air unit for the entire house. We moved all the mattresses in one room on hot summer nights.  Not complaining. I was taught grit and at the end of the day my parents were able to give me a leg up - a better life than they had. 

It’s my turn to do that for my kids. I helped my daughter brainstorm on a book.  “Escape of the Wild Carrots” an adventure of Charlie the Carrot and his friends mission to save him before he is eaten by humans.  

She committed to it everyday. Burning through erasers on the back of the pencil because the pictures she would draw didn’t meet her standards.  It had to be perfect in her mind, after all she was going to save some dogs! I needed to let her know the 1st draft and even the 5th draft didn’t need to be perfect. You need to do your worst work before you can do your best.  

I’m happy to say she is now an official author.  The book will be on Amazon soon and 30% of all proceeds will go to PAWS.

Don’t wait until you grow up to be what you want to be.  

No time like the present.  

#Legup