When I am grown up, I want to feel...

I have never been a fan of the question, what do you want to be when you grow up?  I still get sweaty palms and a tightness in my stomach, accompanied by a gnawing sense of "I don't know?".  We place a high value on what we "DO" and often overlook the deeper experience of how we feel.  So I ask the question, "How do you want to feel when you are grown?"

The child's answer provides a compass, their own true North, by which to navigate their life and choices.

After the children drew how they wanted to feel and explained them to the group, we paused together with our eyes closed to feel with our hearts and minds their grown up self, until we planted a good strong seed of intention.

Then we opened our eyes, often smiling broadly and confident and resumed the day.
Here are some of their answers:

• Noland
• When I am grown up I want to feel strong and happy.
• Matthew
• When I am grown up I want to feel cool and strong and funny and happy.
• Dax
• When I am grown up I want to feel happy and funny and playing with my brother.
• Tatum
• When I am grown up I want to feel happy!!!! And I want to be a dress designer.
• Eliana
• When I am grown up I want to feel happy!
• Tessa
• When I am grown up I want to feel loved and happy.
• Aiden
• When I am grown up I want to feel loved and happy.
• Dillon
• When I am grown up I want to feel happy and loved!
• Adelaide
• When I am grown up I want to feel happy and loved, like when I’m with my sister.
• Dennis
• When I am grown up I want to feel happy.
• Lila B.
• When I am grown up I want to feel loved, lucky and happy and play with my little sisters. I never want to be grown up and I will always be mommy and daddy’s little kid.
• Breier
• When I am grown up I want to feel good and happy and I want to play with my sissy and in nature and little dogs and help animals and study math and be in concerts and I want to have a famous voice.  I want to PLAY.
• Georgia

• When I am grown up I want to feel happy and play with my sister and all my children I’m gonna have.
• Iliana
• When I am grown up I want to feel really, really, really, really, really, really happy!
• Addie
• When I am grown up I want to feel really happy and play a lot.
• Connor
• When I am grown up I want to feel really, really, really, really, really happy!!!
• Copeland
• When I am grown up I want to feel big.
• Desmond
• When I am grown up I want to feel happy.
• Kate
• When I am grown up I want to feel happy.
• Willa R.
• When I am grown up I want to feel happy.
• Jaylen
• When I am grown up I want to feel loved, happy, excited, funny and have lots of friends.
• JJ
• When I am grown up I want to feel good, happy and have lots of friends.
• Rees
• When I am grown up I want to feel happy.
• Cooper B.
• When I am grown up I want to feel happy.
• Sloane
• When I am grown up I want to feel happy, excited, sad and mad.  I want to be a singer.
• Harry
• When I am grown up I want to feel happy and good.
• Estelle
• When I am grown up I want to feel happy and have kids and get married.
• Moseley
• When I am grown up I want to feel like I’m God or like I’m a unicorn.
• Marshall
• When I am grown up I want to feel strong and protect animals.  I want to be a zoo keeper.