Hello and happy Monday! This is Susan Hyatt and it’s GO time.
This is the 96th episode in a series of GO mp3s to wake you up on your Monday morning and get you going.
In this episode we’re talking about what you loved when you 5 years old and how you might be able to bring some of those dreams back to life.
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Wanna read the full transcript? Here ya go:
If you follow me on Facebook, then you know that I just got back from an uhhh-mazing trip to Scotland! Oh my Gawd. It was insane.
I took along 9 clients and we stayed inside a castle. Like, an actual castle!!! We all squealed and flipped out when we arrived. It was incredible.
We drank whiskey by the fire. We learned traditional Scottish dances. We got to visit locations where they film the TV show OUTLANDER, which is one of my all-time favorite shows.
It was a legendary trip. If you’ve never been to Scotland, seriously, put it on your must-visit list. You will not regret it.
So the first night of the retreat, I hired a Scottish bagpiper to come and play for us. He was 
phenomenal. After his performance, he stayed and chatted with us, and mentioned that he came from a family of bagpipers. In fact, his uncle was a piper. When he was just 5 years old, he watched his uncle play and he was mesmerized by how the bagpipes worked. He was couldn’t wait to learn. He got his hands on a bagpipe as soon as he possibly could, he took lessons, and practiced for decades.
And today, his childhood dream has come true! He is a professional bagpiper! His bagpiping band is competing in the world championship this year for the 3rd time. Amazing.
I loved hearing this guy’s story, for so many reasons.
First, his Scottish accent was amazing. I could listen to him talk about just about anything for hours on end.
And second, I think it’s a beautiful story that illustrates how smart we are… as kids.
At 5 years old, most of us are very brave, creative, confident, and ambitious. We say things like “I’m going to be on TV!” or “I’m going to be a champion bagpiper!” or “I’m going to be a veterinarian!” and we totally MEAN IT.
But then as we get older, most of us forget about our childhood dreams. We get hurt. We get cynical. Our confidence gets shaken. Over time, we convince ourselves that our dreams “just aren’t realistic.”
But… there are exceptions to every rule. Like the bagpiper I met in Scotland. He dreamed about being a bagpiper when he was 5 years old and he’s actually doing it!
He didn’t give up on himself. I think that’s so inspiring.
My question for you this week is…
What did you know at 5 years old?
Way back when you were a little kid, what did you love to do? What felt exciting to you? What kind of person did you dream about becoming?
Maybe when you were 5 years old, you wanted to be an astronaut. But you grew up and you became a Human Resources Director instead. Look, I’m not saying, “Quit your HR job today and go be an astronaut starting tomorrow!” Haha! I mean, you COULD. But maybe that’s not actually what you want anymore. Maybe you’ve learned through the years that you’re terrified of heights and you get nauseous on roller coasters.
However, you could ask yourself, “What does ‘astronaut’ represent for me?”
Maybe “astronaut” represents… exploration, curiosity, and leading people into new ways of thinking. Maybe it represents… freedom. Maybe it represents… a profession where you’re opening people’s minds and making a big difference in your community.
Maybe there’s a way that you could reconnect with your 5-year-old self and bring some of that “astronaut flavor” back into your grown-up life.
My challenge for you this week is…
Think about your 5-year-old self. Think about what you loved back then. What you dreamed about.
Then, see if there’s a way you could bring some of those 5-year-old dreams back to life.
Maybe not in a literal way. Like, you don’t have to literally marry a prince and become royalty like Kate Middleton. But maybe you could throw yourself a fabulous birthday party and feel like royalty.
Whatever you dreamed about a kid, there’s always a way to revive that dream and bring it back into your life, in some form, at any age.
Your 5-year-old self is very smart. Talk to your inner kid and see what she—or he—thinks you should do with the rest of your life. I bet she’s got some really good ideas.
It’s GO time.
