When I was little I had a lot of dreams. I used to dream about becoming a teacher, a lawyer, the president, and even a famous celebrity. Most of the time though, I dreamt of becoming a writer.

Ever since I can remember I had a journal and a pen. In elementary school I would document my life daily in my diary, writing about my crushes, my feelings, my fears and all the weird thoughts I could conjure.

When I got into high school and got my first laptop, I would type my journal entries.

I would imagine I was some big, famous important writer who spent every morning writing her next big thing. I found peace in sitting with myself, my laptop and my thoughts.

A lot of times I wrote in circles about my feelings and what I wanted to do next, but I always felt important and special as I wrote. It felt like I was writing secrets. I was the main character and everyone around me was watching and wondering what I was aggressively typing away about.

They say that when you’re trying to find your purpose and your passions, you should tap into what excited you when you were a kid. When people told me this, I would always think about jobs I thought I wanted – teacher, lawyer, president.

Until one day I realized, teachers don’t make enough, lawyers’ jobs are pretty boring and the U.S. government is not one I wanted any part in running.

I completely forgot about the other things I loved to do as a kid – writing, reading, art, adventure, climbing trees, singing and performing.

I wonder if I tapped into those things sooner I would have found my path and purpose faster. Maybe I could have avoided years of jobs I hated and 9-5s that made me cry.

The hard thing is, I was so close to what I wanted to do. I was doing social media management and marketing – which is writing.

I was hosting events for big corporations and movie studios – which felt like an adventure and maybe a little dash of performing.

But it still wasn’t lighting up that little kid in me.

It wasn’t until I got back to the core of what made me happy as a kid that I found my true passions. Because if I peel back all the layers of expectations that piled up on me as I grew up, what’s left is a kid who liked to write about her life, make people happy, and have a lot of adventure.

It’s actually really cute and makes a lot of sense when I think of my core values – luxury, freedom, spirituality and community. At my core, I’m just a girl who wants to have amazing experiences with amazing people as I learn and grow my own perspective.

I guess what I’m trying to say is, if you’re trying to figure out your purpose or what you’re meant to do with your life, it’s time to peel back your own layers of expectations.

Who are you at your core? What do you wish you could be doing?

Because odds are, there’s a way for you to create money and income from the things you love.

Take me as proof. Here I am writing about my thoughts, feeling special like I have a little secret, just like I did as a kid. The only difference is now I have an audience who reads my thoughts, people who buy cool stuff I create, and a community is always ready for the next adventure, event, or online workshop I host.

Damn, if little Ashley could see me now, she surely would think I’m the coolest.

What do you need to embrace more in your life for little YOU to think you’re the coolest?

And if you’re not sure, the only question I want you to start exploring is – what did I love doing as a kid?

The more you can embrace those things and create a pathway for income through them, the easier it’ll be to find your purpose and create a life you truly, truly love.

xoxo,

Ashley