I recently accompanied my children and their friends for a movie called Christopher Robins. Right through the movie I wished that some of my really busy friends had seen it instead.
It’s a simple story of transition from childhood into adulthood, where life just takes over as it does for most of us.
This article does not reflect what the movie is about but it got me thinking about childhood in general and the 3 things we could all get back from our younger years to make a part of our adult world. (They are not written in the sequence of importance)
#1.Curiosity and Wonder: Our ability as children to observe things deeply, to be fascinated and want to know more. To explore, go out there, take a bit of risk and discover for self what works and what doesn’t. The kind of curiosity that knows no fear or shame and leads to learning and growth naturally….everyday.
More than things, to be curious about people, not in a meddling way but being genuinely interested in them. To look at them wide eyed and really discover who they are, what got them here and where they want to go. The challenges, dreams and desires that really make each one of us who we are. To listen to real time stories, because the child in us loved stories and still could do with many more.
#2.Playfulness: I sometimes wonder at what point do we become so serious about life and living? I often cross streams of people on my morning walk and very few of them smile. Some are so preoccupied they may not even acknowledge my smile but most do respond. Just to be light hearted, silly and have some fun on a daily basis could be so welcome and refreshing. Finding moments to play a quick game, pull a prank, walk in the rain, laugh out loud (and not in the LOL way), share a joke or just tease someone till it brought a smile on their face. A little bit of naughtiness never harmed anyone, it only created memories that can be relived. So get out there and wrestle with your kids, tickle someone or get tickled, wink at your partner or run a race (not the rat race 😉 Someone wise did say “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing”
#3.Resilience: This one is a game changer between children and adults. What fascinates me about children is their ability to move on. This is one quality that all adults can bring back into their lives for sure. Falling down never meant that you could not get up and play again and a friend’s bad mood/ energy never meant that the friend was bad. A bad hurt could be kissed away and a bad fight never ended a relationship.
As a child change was mostly welcome and not feared. On the contrary parents worry much more about a new school, a new neighborhood, a new teacher than the child does.
The ability of a child to live in the moment is so precious, to be able to not carry emotional baggage from one human transaction to another. To drop the stress when the moment is over and not replay emotional videotapes over and over again till they drain. Maybe it has something to do with the word ‘ego’ too. Childhood was devoid of it.
The recipe then is simple….To a large bowl of adulthood and wisdom, add a generous helping of curiosity (remember to trim away judgment). Some finely chopped naughtiness with a dash of laughter to balance the flavor. All this mixed at regular intervals and then placed on a bed of resilience. Only to be served with a smile.