Unbelievably, the child I just gave birth to is about to turn 3-years-old. As we are approaching her birthday, I thought it would be fun to interview her about some of her favorite things.
Most of her responses were completely predictable:
Favorite color? Pink
Favorite food? Cookies
Favorite show to watch? Mickey
[Some of her answers made me laugh]
What’s your favorite thing to do with Daddy? “Go to Clothes” (aka Lowe’s)
But one of her replies totally caught me off guard:
What do you want to be when you grow up? “I just want to be Greer.”
Hmmmm… my first thought was that maybe she didn’t understand the question, so I asked her again. I even provided examples: a doctor, a dancer, a teacher. Each of these was met with resistance, as she emphatically repeated, “I just want to be Greer.”
Wait a minute… She wants to be… herself? How cool is that?!
I have struggled with confidence for most of my life.
In fact, I can guarantee I never would have said I wanted to be myself – most of the time, I really wasn’t even 100% sure who that was.
Throughout junior high and high school, I always vowed to undergo some massive transformation over the summer. I’d return to school suntanned, 10 pounds thinner, and with the elusive air of someone far cooler than I ever was. People would do a double take at the new and improved me. Of course, this never happened anywhere except in my active imagination.
I never really felt like just being me was enough. I needed to be more outgoing, less uptight, more assertive, and less meek. I figured when I finally “grew up” all of these things would just somehow fall into place. I never fathomed myself being in my 30’s and still caring what others thought of me. But the truth is that sometimes I still do.
The great thing about my daughter’s response and young kids, in general, is that they own exactly who they are in every moment. They speak their mind, let you know what they want without beating around the bush, and they certainly aren’t afraid to look silly. There is no filter, no pretense, and best of all, no self-consciousness; there is just raw emotion, pure honesty, and total authenticity. Their confidence is unwavering.
And you know what? I think that’s pretty amazing.
Three years into this parenting journey and I continue to be surprised at just how much she teaches me. So it’s time to take a page from her book. As I continue to “grow up,” I want to be true to myself, hold fast to my values, embrace my quirks, and live my best life – just like my daughter does every single day.