Your original dream never goes away - Melissa Llarena

Your original dream never goes away Your original dream never goes away You may get distracted along the way and pick up professional degrees in the process, yet these might be considered distractions until you are ready to pick up your dreams once again. As a job interview coach I am committed to making it socially acceptable to fulfill childhood dreams. I believe that the same dream you imagined when you were younger is still worth realizing as an adult. I’m not referring to being a cowboy (unless that’s what floats your boat).I want you to revisit your original aspiration, the one you had when you first realized your greatest passion, unique talent, or ability.For me, it was becoming a world-famous copywriter in an advertising agency. I was 12 years old when I thought that up, learning about advertising in elementary school. Around the same time, I was glued to an after-school TV show in which the protagonist owned an ad agency. I was smitten with the idea of owning my own ad agency and coming up with jingles. A nd yet, I made different decisions the older I became: I eventually meandered into law school, studied for one semester, then left. Instead of following my passions, I went into the corporate world because my then-employer paid for my tuition. The caveat was that I had to work for them in exchange, and then everything afterward was rooted in my need to support myself.Looking back, I wonder what I was thinking. So much changed from when I was young, back when it was OK to dream freely. As time passed, I picked up more responsibilities, leaving me feeling like I had to suppress my risky dreams with safe choices, such as going to law school or working in corporate. Guardrails went up around my original dream. Those creative aspirations never left me, but they were immobilized by a figurative fence with a big “keep out” sign.These days, I see a lot of guardrails around my clients’ dreams. What guardrails are you putting up for yourself today? Are they responsibilities to your fami ly? Are they a lack of top talent or skills? No time?You may hide your dream or put it away, but it will keep popping up from time to time. Soon, you’ll notice that it’ll feel like clockwork whenever you end a chapter of your life: you might rethink your career after being let go from a role, or you might reconsider your life choices when you turn 40.This idea that a dream never stops rearing its head is showcased throughout many of Mo’s books. The illustrator consistently draws the wily bird from Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus in the back covers of his other books (you can spot the pigeon in the back of Should I Share My Ice Cream Cone? hidden in the shape of an ice cream scoop). Go ahead and play this hide-and-seek game with your child, who will get a kick out of finding the pigeon.Questions:  1. Whats your #1 best excuse now for not pursuing your original dream? 2. Name three people who can use the same excuse yet choose not to be stopped.Share your answers in the com ments below. I want to help you fulfill your dream and will review all comments to offer up ideas to kick-start your individual journey. Next Stop: Your original dream takes different shapes