From Childhood Play to Adult Purpose: How to Connect the Dots
It can be anything… doodling, collecting stamps, rearranging your room, listening to the sound of birds.
I have found this to be one of the most fundamental questions for figuring out what naturally feels nurturing for us and what shape that energy takes through what we do.
It is an often overlooked one, as we adults tend to forget that we’re ultimately still children on the inside, walking around in aged bodies.
On the path of pursuing work that feels deeply fulfilling and purposeful, we’ll find that our childhood selves are already holding a piece of the puzzle.
Why even our smallest childhood habits can point us to our purpose.
Our childhood habits — things we did without thinking simply because they brought us joy — shows our drive and natural inclinations. Our adult passions may not look like our childhood habits, but they will be of the same essence.
That essence sits under our layers of conditioning and the weight of other people’s expectations, though its flame still burns bright.
Our habits show us what we willingly returned to, over and over again, and where we poured our energy without being told to.
They show us the hidden strengths that we have likely practiced until mastery, such as collecting or storytelling, and translate into powerful adult skills.
They give us a sense of safety and home, an emotional memory that inspires a sense of aliveness in adults.
They connect us to our imaginations and remind us that we are allowed to dream big!
They show us the archetypes that we are most drawn to innately, and how that archetype might relate to others or the world.
An example of how a childhood habit translated to life purpose.
As a child, one thing that I loved to do (second to playing with dolls) was diving into the world of fairytales.
I loved reading fairytales, decorating my room with fairy stickers, watching fairytale-themed movies, imagining the types of fairytale decor I’d use in my future home…
Why did I love the essence of fairytales? In fantasy worlds, dreamy magic transcends the rules of normal life, where anything and everything is possible.
That expansive feeling of possibility and freedom is the driving factor behind what I do today and the very core of who I am as a person. It is the directional force behind all of my decisions in life.
Throughout the course of my high school, college, and young adult years, I had forgotten just how imaginative I could be (and wanted to be). Digging into my childhood habits helped me remember this side of myself that had been long buried.
Your Next Step
Try to figure out what your childhood habits / hobbies / joys were and why you enjoyed them. Your reasons (the essence) will guide you towards your most authentic way of expressing yourself.