“you grows up an you grows up” – #LetsBlogOff

Vince Vaughn is famously quoted as screaming “u grows up and u grows up and u grows up!” in Swingers. Here’s a little video action for you:

So, in this weeks LetsBlogOff we’re asked “what did you want to be when you grew up?” And…well, quite frankly at one time or another (as I imagine is true for many people) I wanted to be just about everything under the sun. Here’s a small list, a taste, a teaser if you will:

Math Teacher
Motorcycle Cop
Marine Corp Sniper
Evil Canival (Stunt Man for those who don’t know)
Pro Wrestler (FYI – I’m 5′-8″ and 165 lbs…..yeah)
and…… Architect.

That’s right, even at a young age I wanted to be an Architect. Even though I didn’t even understand what one was until I was in my teens. But I don’t think this is really at the heart of the question. The notion of “want” in the question is completely misleading. It leads us down a path of childlike innocence and wonder to ponder “what do I want to spend my life doing” rather than looking at our life as it is and asking “is this where I want to be and where do I go from here?” This is a more practical road to travel down, in my opinion. And so, here we go.

Looking back at my “10 year plan” from high school, which was about 13 years ago now, I am actually exactly where I thought I would be. Perhaps this means I’m not much of a dreamer or my goals were too practical, but there it is. I’m married, I have some awesome kids and I am a practicing architect (unlicenced). So, when I apply the question “what do I want to spend my life doing and where do I go from here”, I actually get a sense of satisfaction.

Because I genuinely LOVE what I do. Now, that is not to say that my life is all milk and honey and dandelions. I, like many, have financial issues and family issues and professional issues, etc etc. But that doesn’t mean that I’m not happy where I am or less satisfied with the path I’m currently on. The reason for that is because “architecture”, or “architect”, is not merely something that I “do”. I AM an Architect. Call it DNA, call it Destiny, call it a calling, whatever. If I were not an Architect, or if I were not practicing architecture in some capacity you can bet your ass I’d be on a ledge somewhere staring at “the great beyond”.

Instead of wondering “what do I want to be” when grown, I have grown into who I was always meant to be. There were small choices along the way that got me here, but “choice” isn’t really a factor when you consider that there is nothing else I would rather dedicate my life to than the profession, the art, the science, the passion of architecture.

So, where are you in your journey? Are you where you were always meant to be or are you facing a crossroads of “where do I go from here”? Either way you’ve only got one life to live. Make it a good one.