Children have very big minds and very big dreams, maybe the biggest dreams in the world.
There are so many exciting possibilities for our futures - from being scientists, firefighters or marine biologists. We can be adventurers, athletes, explorers, play in rock bands, or write award-winning books. There are millions and millions of ways to become successful – and if you try hard enough, you will become great at what you want to be.
You don’t have to “be” any of these, though, because when John Lennon asked what he wanted to “be” when he grew up, he replied “happy.” I want to be happy, healthy, satisfied and have all the tools in the kit to be successful when I grow up.
But not everyone recognises this. Dreaming big has always been important to me and when writing Be Your Best Self, we did our research to find out what adults thought about children’s goals. I was really surprised to hear many adults say things like “children don’t really have goals, apart from winning their next trophy in football, or nailing some front flips in gymnastics.”
This simply isn’t true. Children do have big dream goals and we want to achieve them. If we are ever going to make them come real, we are going to need supporting along the way.
Our big dreams are important because they inspire us to be better. They motivate us to achieve more and become the very best we can be, and we learn so much when we try something new. Even if we don’t get it right first-time round, or even the second, or the third, when we set our sights high and work hard towards something we learn, grow and develop into the very best we can be.
Children have huge dreams and enormous potential. I was dreaming about going to martial arts for a whole month before I started. And while I was at training, I dreamt for another whole month about competing. But I knew I couldn’t do that unless I put the effort and training into my dream. So, I trained harder and harder, put in all the effort I could, and I have won three bronze medals at national championships, a bronze European championship medal, and I won a silver in the King of the North competition.
Children’s dreams are real, and they matter. They should be nurtured, not squashed and constrained. Things that might once have seemed impossible happen all the time – concepts like flying or driving trains were once unthinkable but are now a normal, accepted part of everyday life. And this all starts with a dream. A spark of inspiration that turns into something incredible.
Nobody achieves success on their own. We all need help to achieve our dreams. We need people who believe in us, like my own amazing support team. We need guidance to help us turn our big ideas into a reality, support to find the motivation to help us dig deep on the days that are a struggle and the resilience to bounce back from failures. And most importantly, we need to feel good about ourselves and confident in our abilities.
We want children to know that the dreams they have, whether big or small, are important and they can reach them if they keep persisting and working hard. I’ve always wanted to become a published author – this was another huge dream of mine and, believe me, it wasn’t easy. It has taken us two years from when I had the idea to the book coming out on the shelves. And we can’t wait to help other children achieve the awesome things they are capable of. One of the themes Be Your Best Self explores is dreaming big and the steps children can take to make their exciting dream goals happen.
Can you remember what you wanted to be when you grew up?
We’d really love to hear from you. Please leave a comment or join the discussion on Twitter here.
About Be Your Best Self:
Written by Danielle Brown MBE and Nathan Kai, this exciting new book for children is a recipe for success, happiness and esteem. It’s a comprehensive framework that encourages children to raise their aspirations and turn exciting dreams into a reality. It’s a thought provoking career tool, a vital people skills asset, a modern day confidence builder, an engaging life-hack, and it empowers children to make the most of – and create– opportunities to lead bright and successful futures. Opportunities that EVERY parent would want for their child.
Positive and practical, Be Your Best Self empowers children to be happy, be confident and become the best versions of themselves.
To get your own copy of Be Your Best Self click here.