I was driving today to an appointment when I had a profound realization. Although I am chronologically a 38 year old man, I am being driven by a much younger version of myself.

Inside me is a person who is actually at the very core of my being, who is motivating me to be the person I am, and achieve the goals I have.

That person is my seventeen-year-old self.

When I was seventeen years old, I used to attend motivational workshops with my grandmother. She was a member of a network marketing company that sold household goods. Like most of these companies, everyone there was going to become rich and successful and retire.

Except me. I was there because of one thing: the motivational speaking.

I was completely enamored with the people who would get on the stage and share life experiences and profound insights with the room. I’d sit in rapt attention for hours, surrounded by people twice my age.

All my friends had no idea I used to do this on weekends as I was too embarrassed to tell them. But for me, I believed that my future was to be an inspirational speaker someday.

Just as it happens for most people, life started to get in the way.

Although my passion for what I wanted to do was strong, it seemed that reality was stronger.

By the time I was 20, I had convinced myself I was too young and didn’t have anything worth saying. I started to go into the restaurant business as my backup plan, as that was another secondary goal that I had.

I did quite well in that world, and eventually found my way into executive coaching and then business consulting. Today I live in another country, and I get to travel, speak, consult to groups about business topics.

But at the core if it, something is still missing.

I am still that seventeen-year-old boy who wants to be an inspirational speaker.

I realized today that the drive to be that is stronger and more important to me than anything else. I am going to lay it on the line and say that that is my life purpose.

For me, it’s time to stop hiding that dream and to pursue it full force.

I share this with you because I believe that everyone has a younger version of themselves that is still driving their dreams. The younger you is the one that has no hangups or bad past experiences. They are idealistic and unrealistic. But they are who you really are.

I challenge you to take a few minutes today to think about this and revisit why you never achieved the things you truly wanted.

And then realize it is not too late. Life will allow you the results you dare to persistently ask for.

You are who you are. Embrace it.