Achieving your childhood dreams

[spectre]

The following video is of a speech given by Carnegie Mellon Professor Randy Pausch on September 18, 2007. He's dying of pancreatic cancer and this was the last lecture that the professor gave. It's probably the most amazing speech I've ever heard. His strength to not only give this speech, but stay this upbeat is amazing. He talks about how he realized his childhood dreams, about some of the work he's done, and makes it all very entertaining to watch.

Just a fair bit of warning, this video is a little over an hour and fifteen minutes long, but well worth watching.



After watching this, I started wondering if I had any childhood dreams. As I thought about it, I realized that I never really had any grand plans or anything major that I wanted. I was always kind of an outcast, so I always wanted to find acceptance. I feel that I have that now with a good group of friends, so I feel that I'm at least on the path to realizing my dreams.

I'm curious about the TFP members out there, what were your childhood dreams? How many of you have realized those dreams?

[ngdawg]

I wanted to be an artist from the time I was five. I remember drawing people whose bodies started out as letters of the alphabet. My mom kept my little books I'd written and drawn-Art class was the only one I ever got consistent A's in.

Made it.

[snowy]

http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=132702

As for my dreams, I've always been working towards them, whether I realized it or not. I am meant to be a Teacher. I might have been sidetracked into other things at one time or another, but regardless, my ultimate purpose remains the same--helping people learn. Note the choice of phrase. There is a distinct difference in helping people to learn than there is in lecturing them. When I was a child, I used to play school. And now, in what I do, I help children learn every day.

[The_Jazz]

If I were a child, I would try to post this video in as many TFP threads as possible.

I never became a firefighter. I'm happy with the way that one turned out. I never played guitar in a rock band. I'm not too upset about that one.

However from age 14 to about 19, I was convinced that I was going to be an Olympian. I never even made it to the Trials without paying for a ticket, though. That one still smarts, enough that I've already caught myself evaluating my sons for signs of athletic talent and where it may lie. Max might have the makings of an excellent distance runner. We'll see if that's what he wants to do, though.

[little_tippler]

I've had lots...

I wanted to be a hairdresser. Grew out of that one.

I wanted to be a fashion designer. Grew out of it, though I still like clothes.

Wanted to be a professional singer, preferably in musicals. Dabbled in singing a bit but never made it a profession. I feel ok about it because I don't think it is really right for me - I like the singing but not the performance.

I wanted to be an archaeologist, a paleontologist, and a geneticist. The last one I still think would be great, but the others I grew out of too. Not too worried if none of those work out heh.

I wanted to be a professional artist - still trying for that one. Maybe it will happen, maybe not. Things are moving along though, happily.

So overall, I'm pretty happy with what I've achieved so far, not disappointed about anything in particular.

Other dreams, apart from career options, would be: to have the respect of the people I cherish or value, to find peace in my life and some contentment, to have a good group of friends and someone to share my life with, for however long. That last part is still on my to achieve list!

A recent new dream would be to get to a reasonably good level at surfing! I'm still a child at heart

[flat5]

Way to go

[Borgs]

I really wanted (and still do) to travel into space. I didn't necessarily want to be an astronaut, I just wanted to go into space by whatever means. It looks like, if I live long enough (or have enough money) I may be able to do it yet.

I also wanted to be President of the U.S. I'm still working on that.

[Ustwo]

It is only a matter of time before I unleash my minions on an unsuspecting world and there is nothing you meddling kids can do to stop me!

[Cynthetiq]

I have had many dreams as a kid, some of them did become reality. some got a dose of reality that made me change the dream.

I wanted to work for Disney. I did, got to work on beta testing and helping design Disney Software in the late 80s.

I wanted to work for an advertising agency, Ogilvy and Mather in particular. I got to work alongside someone who worked that account, but moreso I got to work at my second choice, Saatchi and Saatchi. I hated it and left after 6 months and 1 day. The 1 day was on purpose.

I dreamed of having my own business. I did at age 14. I sold software and hardware to companies at steep discounts because I had no overhead. I drop shipped everything so no stock, no warehouse. I gave it up when I got intereseted in girls and partying. I just got incorporated just last week, got our seal the other day in the mail. I'll take it to a completely different level.

I dreamed of opening a computer store at 15. Apple insisted on $1M in liquid assets and the ability to warehouse 1 week inventory. All the spaces I found would allow me a good amount of square footage, but I could not scratch up $1M in assets in 1983. I could barely do it today and it wouldn't be liquid.

I dreamed of having a place in NYC. I now own a small apartment overlooking the East River and two bridges in Lower Manhattan.

I dreamed of travelling around the world. I try to fly to at least 2 countries every year.

I gave up many other dreams to prove something to someone else. I gave them up without a fight.

I dream of opening a restaurant or bar.

I'm now creating new ones.

A sportscar is on my list. I had a motorcycle with the wind in my hair....I got hit by some girl on Rt 4 in NJ after a 100+ mile ride, just 1.5 miles from home. I promised some family members I wouldn't ride again.

Being expatriated or living in another country of my choice.

[Willravel]

I wanted an Eclipse turbo in high school. Now I have one.

I wanted to be Spider-man when I was a boy. Still working on that.

[Glory's Sun]

my only dream was to be a rock star and consume insane amounts of cocaine and have women throw themselves at me constantly

so far only 2 parts of that dream ever came true.

[whatever1]

Well,

I actually got criticized for meeting my goals. When I was 14, I was involved in the community emergency services. I first thought about being a flight nurse when I was 16. I realized I could do the same things as the paramedic and make more $$.

My senior year of HS I had a partial scholarship to Penn. Unfortunately, my father also got laid off from work. I dabbled, did some manual labor, became a paramedic (paid less than the manual labor). While I was there, I was one of the few that could read and right. I knew I needed to go to college, worked FT at night and school days.

I changed nursing jobs every 12-18 months in a better position and more responsibility with the goal of the flight nurse job. In my 8th year I had a shot, made it to the final 3, but did not get it, year 9 I did.

I was later criticized in the business community for changing jobs too often despite promotions and advancements.

Now, If I knew how to add a pic, I would put one in here with me and the chopper.

[Punk.of.Ages]

I had a lot of little dreams as a kid. I only consider a select handful to be significant though.

1. Be an artist.

This was probably my very first dream. Note that it doesn't state a specific kind of art, and that it has nothing to do with being paid. I've just always wanted to be able to express my creativity somehow, whether it be with pencil, paint brush, sculpture, the computer, or, my personal favorite, my guitar.

I accomplish this goal consistently through my every day life. I'm the lead guitarist in a punk band, I write songs, I draw all the time, I've been known to do magic with photoshop, the list keeps going and grows every day.

2. Graduate High School.

I never decided to go to school. It was forced upon me. I never liked that, and it made school very hard for me. I hate doing things I don't want to do, but I've always understood the importance of education.

I graduated with a 3.6 GPA on March 31, 2005. I consider this the most well-earned accomplishment of my life.

3. Find a way to make a good living without going to college.

As I said, school and I don't get along. I vowed to myself when I graduated high school that I would never go to school again, let alone pay for it, but that I would make a good living for myself.

The answer to this one just kind of fell on me. I didn't find the sales industry, it found me. It's the perfect career for me. I've always been good at making people see things the way I do through debate. Now I do it for a living. I'm a 21 year old high school graduate with no college education whatsoever and I make a six-figure income. Take that college!

4. Make a difference in the music industry.

This is a goal that I haven't accomplished yet, but I get closer every day. As I said, I'm in a band, I'm in the process of starting a small label that I will grow as big as I can, and most importantly I have my views and beliefs that I will express through my music.

Overall I'm pretty satisfied with my accomplishments past, present, and future.

[silent_jay]

I wanted to play pro hockey, always did from the time I started the sport, never made it to the NHL, but I did make it to the UHL and at least got paid for my abilities, so I count that as a dream acheived.