via flickr by jesse.millan
I I received an email last night from a thoughtful reader that really struck a chord. She had been reading my posts about childhood aspirations and wrote to share a bit about her life and feelings.
Here are a few lines from her note:
I am a grown up and somewhere along the line I stopped going into that place in my own mind where grace and casual elegance lived. Things around here are in a dismal state of affairs. Really, my life is a little past the half way mark and I would truly like to live some of it the way my “little girl” imagined.
You have spurred me on to reach into my past and all the dreams and wonders of “how it would be when I became a grown up.”
She asked how to begin living the life her younger self imagined. I want to encourage her, because this is a question many of us face.
So I’m asking you, dear friends (especially those further along in the “real life” phase):
Do you ever go back in time to think about those little-girl dreams of what life would be like when you grew up?
via flickr by Jolante
Most of us didn’t expect the struggles and sacrifices that adulthood brings. I’ll admit being an adult is much more exhausting than I imagined. It’s messier, more complicated, and louder than the daydreams I had—three kids certainly make peace a rare commodity right now.
My childhood visions of adult life were probably more fairy tale than reality. But why did those visions fade? Did I imagine beautiful things that were out of reach, or did I let them slip away amid everyday urgencies? I believe I let them go.
The question becomes: how do we bring moments of beauty and grace back into our lives while managing stress, messes, financial worries, and the constant demands on our time?
Where do we begin if we’ve lost sight of our little-girl dreams?
♥
1 Begin with solitude.
Find quiet time to dream. When life spirals and I lose sight of what I love, it’s usually because I haven’t taken time for solitude. Being alone with your thoughts—whether to reflect, pray, or simply breathe—helps you reconnect with what matters.
2 Use a journal and list what you once loved.
Writing brings clarity. Listing the things you loved as a child or that used to bring you joy makes them feel achievable again. Simple lists can revive small, meaningful goals and spark ideas for how to reintroduce those pleasures into your life.
3 Create daily and weekly rituals from those loves.
Turn beloved activities into regular rituals. When you schedule time for what delights you—weekly or daily—it becomes easier to protect those moments and to look forward to them. Rituals give shape to the life you want to live.
4 Slow down.
Fill your days with activities that encourage a slower pace. Slowing down invites appreciation and helps you notice small moments of beauty that are easily missed when rushing.
5 Embrace simplicity.
Modern life is full of complicated tools and distractions that often promise to make things easier but end up adding stress. Choose simpler pleasures when you can. Return to small rituals and uncomplicated joys—those things that feel timeless and grounding.
Simplicity doesn’t mean deprivation; it means selecting what truly matters and allowing those choices to shape your days.
6 Live with intention — make room for what you love.
You can deliberately design your life to include the things you’ve always wanted. Adulthood may bring responsibility, but it also brings the freedom to choose. Allow yourself to act on the desires you once held dear. Make small, consistent choices that reflect those dreams.
Begin with a single step: a quiet hour, a written list, a ritual you protect. Over time, these small acts will reconnect you to the grace and elegance your younger self imagined, helping you live a life that feels more like the one you once dreamed of.