Keep a kid’s perspective.
Ever have an insight into life and then find you can’t escape it? Lately, I’ve been constantly reminded of how instinctual we are as kids. And how as adults we shut down to the strengths that come so naturally when we’re young. Strengths I believe we were meant to build upon.
Last night we watched the Robin Williams movie “Jack” and again…the same insight was shining through. The movie is about a boy who ages at a rate 4x faster than normal, so at age 10 he looks like he’s 40. Yet, he has the spirit and sense of adventure of a 10 year old.
And so I share with you a few strengths we all had as kids and encourage you to find a way to recapture this perspective.
PRESENCE. Kids are all about NOW. They live in moment and instinctively lose themselves in whatever they are doing. They give their undivided attention to what’s happening NOW. As adults, we tend to live in the past or the future. All too often forgetting to enjoy the moment we’re in, which is all we ever really have.
POSSIBILITIES. What does MAYBE mean to you? Yes or no? I heard a Jack Johnson song the other day, “maybe…pretty much always means no.” It got me thinking, “Well not when you’re a kid. To kids maybe means, YES! The door is still open.” Kids see everything as possible. They believe they can create whatever they want in life. They don’t go to, “What if….” As adults, we tend to stay in our comfort zones. We set goals we believe we can achieve and no more. We brace ourselves for disappointment and expect the worst. In doing so, we miss the opportunity to see what more is possible and keep attracting what we don’t want.
PERSISTENCE. Kids campaign for what they want without fatigue. They’re resilient. My daughter Kate (7) is on a mission to get a hamster. She visualizes where its cage will go. Thinks up names. After prayers, the last word she whispers in my ear each night is “hamster.” She sees it happening and is in the game until she wins. Why is it as adults we’re so willing to drop out at the slightest sign of adversity? We can become so afraid of failure and disappointment that we don’t even get in the game sometimes. Where did our spirit of persistence go?
I encourage you to find that child like spirit that’s still inside of you. Live in the present. Imagine what’s still possible. Practice persistence and create what you want in life. Oh, one more child like skill that would serve us all well…laugh until your sides hurt!
Expect the best,
Maryanne
