What Would Your Eight- Year-Old Self Be Doing Right Now?

When I was 8 years old I lived in Malta. I was a “Military Brat” a term used to describe children of military parents. I spent a lot of time playing in the sea, catching Gecko's and taking them for a walk with a piece of straw as a lead :). They were times of adventure and wonder. I feel that energy whenever I am here in Portugal.

Do you remember being eight? Not what you were wearing or where you were living—but how you felt?

That sense of wonder. The way time melted away when you were immersed in something you loved. The urge to tell anyone who would listen about dinosaurs, roller-skating, drawing castles, or your grand plan to become an astronaut.

We didn’t call it passion back then. But that’s exactly what it was.

And here’s the quiet truth: that same passion is still in you. It may have been buried under responsibilities, roles, and routines—but it hasn’t left. It’s just waiting to be remembered.

So take a moment to ask yourself:

• What would your eight-year-old self be doing right now?

• What could you talk about for hours and hours?

• What can you simply not live without?

These questions are not nostalgic indulgences. They are breadcrumbs leading you home to your purpose.

Because here’s what I’ve witnessed time and again—in myself, in clients, and in the leaders I walk alongside: when we reconnect with our passion, we find our purpose. And when those two align? We become powerful. Grounded. Fulfilled. Content.

Your eight-year-old self wasn’t thinking about KPIs, strategy decks, or your LinkedIn profile. They were thinking about what made their eyes light up. That spark is not childish. It’s sacred. It’s soul work.

So this Spring season, begin again. Give yourself permission to remember. To rediscover. To follow those intuitive nudges.

Because when we build a life infused with passion, we build a life that’s not only successful on the outside—but deeply aligned on the inside. And that alignment? It’s the recipe for a life well-lived.

Your soul knows the way. Begin.

Let’s Rethink Leadership together