Now We Are Six - When I was one, I had just begun. When I was two, I was nearly new. When I was three, I was hardly me. When I was four, I was not much more. When I was five, I was just alive. But now I am six, I'm as clever as clever. So I think I'll be six now and forever. A.A. Milne

What did you most enjoy doing when you were six years old?  Do you still harbour a passion for that same thing all these years later?  One of my best pals when asked the question replied “I loved to dress up and show off”: she subsequently spent her life working in the worlds of dance and theatre and is one of the most grounded, inspirational women I know.

I reckon that what we enjoyed when we were six was natural and unique to ourselves – not influenced by others – and if we do what we truly love it brings out the best in us: it feeds us the stuff that helps build and maintain our resilience.

And me, I loved to be outside, making camps and going on make-believe adventures.  As an adult this developed into a passion for hiking, climbing and adventurous travelling, a passion which always makes me happy when I tap into it.  It recharges and energises me:  I know that incorporating what I love into my life consistently allows me to #getupgogive www.rachelwl.co.uk

Check out these TED talks, if you’re not already convinced. They will encourage you to take responsibility for your life and to create the life of your dreams instead of the one that others expected of you: Isaac Lidsky What Reality Are You Creating For Yourself and Jane McGonigal The Game That Can Give you 10 Extra Years of Life.

Take the six-year-old test. Are you still living the dreams you had then?