At six, I declared I’d live in NYC and become an attorney—while standing barefoot in a Cold War sandbox. Spoiler: it happened. This is your reminder that dreams are free—so dream big, bold, and in full color.
I was six, standing in a sandbox.
Suddenly, I boldly declared to my best friend (Natasha V.—if you’re reading this, hi!)
“I’m going to live in New York City and become an attorney.”
The Bump In The Road
The only bump in the road? My proclamation was neither reasonable nor remotely feasible.
That sandbox sat in a teeny-tiny Eastern European country—roughly the size of Maryland. And the timing was just perfect. It was during the geopolitical turmoil of the Cold War Era and a total patriarchy. Let’s just say the odds weren’t stacked in my favor, and my prospects of immigrating to a country ‘conceived in liberty and justice’ were slim to none.
However, the universe had my back!
After the Berlin Wall fell (thank you, Mikhail Gorbachev + Ronald Reagan), the world cracked open.
And so did our future.
As soon as the path cleared, my mom applied for a prestigious scholarship to NYU’s School of Public Administration. Did she speak English? Not very well. But armed with grit and a pocket dictionary, she studied for months—and aced the TOEFL exam with flying colors.
As it turned out, the universe had her back, too.
Whether it was grit, grace, or a bit of serendipity, she won. Boom.
Just like that, the door to the country I had only dared to dream about: America.
Long story short, I moved to New York at the age of 18 to attend college. I then met the love of my life. Became a citizen. Survived law school.n Took (and passed!) a grueling 12-hour bar exam. And yes, became an attorney.
Dream: fulfilled.
…or so I thought.
[But that’s a whole other story—one I spill in all its juicy detail over on my YouTube show.] So if you’re up for a listen or a binge-watch (your call!), click here.
Here’s what I want you to take from this:
In that sandbox, when I made my bold, audacious declaration … that little girl, she wasn’t afraid to dream—and dream BIG.
You see, dreams are free, so why not paint them in full color? No grayscale here. No black and white! Make them vivid, wild, delusional, even unrealistic—exactly as far as your imagination dares to go.
Dreams Are Free, So Dream in Full Color
“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.”
— Albert Einstein.
Back then, no one had told her yet that dreams need to be “practical.”
Because somewhere along the line…
We stop.
We shrink.
We rationalize.
We file our dreams under Someday, or Maybe, or When the kids are older.
You see, as adults, we are beaten into submission that dreams must be practical and realistic.
But we forget that …
“The moment you fully commit, providence moves too.
Suddenly, all sorts of things begin to align—things that would’ve never happened otherwise. A whole stream of events unfolds from that single decision, bringing unexpected opportunities, encounters, and support you couldn’t have imagined.”
— William Hutchison Murray, The Scottish Himalayan Expedition
But why and when do we stop dreaming?
When do we stop becoming unapologetically committed and playfully ambitious?
When we grow up.
When fears creep in and grab hold of every cell in our being, making itself at home.
When disappointment slaps us in the face and hits harder than hope.
When we are told not to ask questions, just to sit quietly and listen.
When we’re strapped into chairs instead of set free to run wild.
When obedience replaces curiosity.
When we’re told to comply and not defy.
When we’re scolded for interrupting, instead of being celebrated for having something to say.
When being “too much” becomes a thing we’re punished for.
That’s when the shrinking starts …
At some point, when we are so tired of being shoved and pushed, slapped and silenced, after being told to sit still, speak less, and shrink smaller, we stop reaching. We crawl into hiding.
We trade wonder for worry. We become afraid to dream big, afraid to dream in color. Afraid to wonder, ask, imagine, proclaim, declare, or believe. And that’s the moment we stop being kids.
And eventually, we stop running barefoot toward wonder.
We stop shouting our dreams across the sandbox.
We stop believing that maybe—just maybe—the universe really is listening.
But here’s the truth:
Children are not afraid to dream and declare because somehow, when they do that, the universe conspires…
“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
— Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
Because …
They still believe.
They still dream.
They still proclaim.
Because cardboard is a spaceship.
And moss is a fairy village.
And anything can happen.
What to know: How Your Kid is born a Creative Genius? Click to watch below.
Kids remind us what we’ve forgotten:
That imagination is a sacred gift.
That play is its own kind of prayer.
That bold declaration moved the needle of destiny.
“The moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too…”
— William Hutchison Murray
So here’s your nudge:
Go back to the sandbox.
Let the dream be wild again.
Let it be full color.
Because you never know…
What starts as a whisper at age six might just become your life.
Want more stories like this?
And hit reply — tell me: What did six-year-old YOU dream of?
Tune into The Anya Garcia Show for raw, real, heart-led episodes on motherhood, mindset, and reclaiming your fire.
I read every email. And I’d love to hear your story.
With love and full-color dreaming,
Anya
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ICYMI [In Case You Missed It]
- NASA Study: Children Are Born Creative Geniuses
- Bad Start, Messy Middle – why chaos is your proof of progress
- How To Manage Multiple Kids Without Losing Your Sanity
- Unlocking Sensitive Periods: Why Timing Matters in Your Child’s Development Birth to Age 6
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