Did you ever think to yourself, what I would give to be young again?
We are brought into this world without fear. We were born free from stress, anger, and hatred. In fact, we were born without knowledge of any of it altogether.
It is fascinating to think of such a thing; that as children the only worries we had was whether we would be able to stay up past our bedtime or not to watch one more episode of our favorite television shows. Before we grew up, and became aware of the world and its hardships, happiness and light was generally, all that we knew. Yes, there were tears and tantrums, but those moments are mostly brief, and can easily be solved with distraction and ice cream.
Personally, I believe that children have a lot to teach us about life. As adults, we may often forget to stop and appreciate the "little things." Instead, we tend to dwell over the little things, especially anything that is negative. What happened to just enjoying life? At what point do we transition from innocence and purity, to exposure and adulthood?
In comparison, a child's mind really is like a sponge. They absorb the content that surrounds them in their home and relevant environment. Sometimes, if they are lucky, they will remain imaginative and naive for as long as possible.
We all - children, adults, politicians, soldiers, celebrities, students, etc. - are born with the innate ability to express our emotions, most importantly, happiness. It is inevitable that we will face controversy and unwanted pressure. There are definitely going to be moments when fear and worry will appear to but life-altering, but the closest thing we can do to maintain that childlike freedom we once felt is to maintain a sense of humor and to laugh often.
Sometimes, admittedly so, life can get in the way. We are all guilty of giving up any sense of innocence we once shared to the pressure of wanting to grow up too quickly. I know when I was young, I couldn't wait to be an adult. I couldn't wait to drive a car, go to college and get a job, but now that I'm at that point in my own life, I wish I could go back to the time where the only thing I stressed about was deciding on which Spice Girl I wanted to be for that day.
Life was much easier back then. I say this as if my childhood were so long ago, but truth be told, it sure feels like it was. It feels like such a long time ago because I allowed myself to grow up too quickly. Among many others, I wanted to feel mature and be like the grown-ups I admired, but now I look at my younger cousins and long for the endless days of mindless games and laughter. It is the attitude and the outlook on life, that it actually really isn't so bad, that I miss the most.
I think that children have just as much to teach us about life as we have for them. They are a constant reminder that we were once like them, and that it is okay (and healthy) for us to go off schedule once in a while and do something that will help to embrace the inner-child that still lives on within all of us.
Challenge for the week ahead: Take a single stressful thought, fear, or worry, and replace it with a uplifting memory from your childhood. With that, do something that will lift your spirits, and bring you back to a place of pure joy and happiness!
