The Recession Is Bullhonkey Megs Story - When I Grow Up

The Recession Is Bullhonkey Megs Story - When I Grow Up This is part of The Recession is Bullhonkey series, where I share stories of those who have gotten hired and/or started their own businesses (or sometimes both!) since 2008. This is Megs story about finding her passion by listening to her 6-year-old self. “I am going to be an artist!” My 6yr old self declared loudly and forcefully. There was, of course, no further discussion of the validity of my Master Plan allowed when I had 6yr old certainty. As an ally I had my 4yr old brother often sporting the wig and/or painted nails that matched the dress I had picked out and had convinced or connived (depending how you look at it) him really brought out his eyes. He believed in my plan (and my fashion sense) SO much He would answer the oft asked question that was inconveniently rushing us out of our youth “Meg is going to be a Ahh..tist and I am going to be her assistant.” That’s Artist sans the ‘R’ as he then had an adorable inability to pronounce ‘R’s making him appear a miniature southern gentleman from ‘Chahh..leston’ (or woman depending how I had him dressed). It was truly an asset to have his adorability backing up my campaign. Those were the days, now he is in his last year of Law school. Don’t know why he baile d out on the master plan, he would still look adorable with painted nails, a wig and I am sure I have a dress that would make his blue eyes shine. After age 6 life and questions got harder. People wanted to know what ‘kind’ of artist I wanted to be and honestly I didn’t know that I needed to be a ‘kind’ of artist. Until of course the a fore mentioned stupid heads (I stand by this insult) brought it up. Society tried to assimilate me into adulthood, under some commonly held belief of ‘growing up’. This is a ridiculous belief system I will have no part of. So, I flitted from painter, to writer, to marine Biologist…. I really like dolphins, A LOT. During this time I was dancing and becoming pretty good at it and developing a Shakespeare habit, which resulted in the perfect alchemy, I was going to be a : Performance Artist So performing was the thing. I was going to act, dance and perform all the while changing the world, of course, with the eventual goal of directing my own films, plays and amazing dance performances that would change peoples perceptions, By god!!! They would either “LOVE it or HATE it,” I knew “anything in-between was mediocrity! Not art!” And as my path twisted and turned I did end up in Manhattan with an intuition (fortunately) stronger than my ego. I realized I hated film, it was tedious and political however I loved being on stage, but, what I really lit me up was dance and I REALLY loved creating dances and happened to have quite a great talent for choreography. 21 was the age when I really realized what ‘kind’ of artist I wanted to be. It had taken me 15 years from artist to a specified passion. It was an amazing feeling… And I lived happily ever after…. Well Not exactly, I loved, LOVED being a choreographer I found my soul there and in a surprise twist found my heart in teaching the art of dance. This was what I did for a decade and I THOUGHT I knew what I wanted out of it. But this big glorious universe had other plans for me and I believe the recession was used to teach me a few things. My dream of being a Choreographer and Dance Instructor was no longer right for me. It sounds so easy when I type it like that, but it was a good two years of tug of war between me (ego) and my higher self, and when I realized it was no longer my dream I balled my bloody eyes out! I grieved. It hurt. It sucked. And in the most unlikely of times, in the midst of what some were calling economic crisis and I was calling, “the what the hell am I going to do now vortex” it was slowly revealed to me a new passion a new longing a new place for my soul to reside. What am I now you ask? I’m what my six year old self meant when she said she wanted to be an artist. I now know what I was saying when I said I wanted to be an artist. I wanted to create a life where I was happy everyday just like I was when I was doing ‘artistic’ things. So of course my 6yr old brain said, this makes me happy I want to do it forever. Sitting at my desk writing this, with colored pens in a spinning pen holder, twinkling lights in my meditation corner, stickers, crayons and bubbles in my desk at the ready and a huge smile on my face. I realize I was a pretty smart 6yr old. Meg Boone is a Happiness Instigator and Creative Coun-SOUL-er. By using creative and often unconventional techniques she helps people witness their choicest existence revealed. She believes being happy is fundamental to success and is not above giving stickers to strangers, writing chalk poetry on sidewalks or dancing for no reason in the most unlikely of places.   You can find her at www.megboone.com instigating happiness. My 4th Annual Scholarship closes tomorrow! Make sure you get yo application on by [clicking here]{http://whenigrowupcoach.com/the-4th-annual-when-i-grow-up-coach-scholarship}!