Be a Child
Children fear nothing. They may be scared of something, but it’s a different kind of fear.
They want to check out everything around them. They look at things differently from us. They see unique and new; we see “been there, done that”.
Children have that innocence that says everything has yet to be discovered. They don’t care about the safe, the boring – they want fresh and exciting. They see the world through the eyes of someone that doesn’t know the meaning of the words, “Too far” or “Some other time”.
Shouldn’t we all be like children? In life; in love; in business? Does our fear of real life stop us from overcoming everything that’s holding back our true success?
I think I’d like to be a child. How about you?
- Note: This post originally appeared on my Posterous account. I’m still experimenting there and may remain using it, or move all posts here. In the meantime, I’ll be sharing the odd one here with you.
13 Responses to “Be a Child”
I think if we acted child like maybe the procrastination most of us experience would dwindle because we would face our fears head on.
Yes it is the fear of real life that stops us from overcoming everything that holds back our success.
The fear is created by learning that there is a concept of being wrong and that being wrong is wrong and not a place you want to be in or go to. The concept of being wrong is taught to us at school. This then kills off creativity and stops us coming out with an original innovative solution.
The challenge to all Mums, Dads and teachers is how to bring up -educate kids and not knock their creativity out of them.
I think there's a big difference between fear and caution. As Moss Green points out, there is the fear instilled in us of being wrong. This is artificial. Yet as GlobalPatriot implies, there is the fear of being hurt or harmed.
The two are connected — harm = “wrong decision” — and we have not quite evolved so far as to understand that “wrong decision” no longer equals being killed and eaten by a hungry sabertoothed tiger! The real key, I think, is to teach that “wrong decision” = “learning experience.”
Which is even in itself a gray area. I seek to allow my children free rein within reason, try to show how different variables make for different possible outcomes. Climbing and falling off our couch onto our carpet is quite different from climbing and falling off a rock onto concrete!
I think what you were getting at, Danny, is that children have the ultimate faith that they can do anything… even if they have to take a few precautions, even if they fall down one or a couple of times… they know they can get it right next time with a few tweaks, they have that resilience. Yes?
I think it's a child's curiosity and willingness to try new things that attract me. For some reason, when we get older, we tend to lose that curiosity about life. When we do, we become stale, stagnate and boring.
As we get older, our brains are hard-wired to fight change. It's not just fear, or fear of change, although those do play into it. It’s more than that.
We have to teach our brains to look at things differently. To find patterns, to find uniqueness, to find oddities, to find commonalities. We need to think about many, different, unusual and unique ways to see things. We need to continue to experience life, to step outside the rut and routine, to take chances. Many of the great thought leaders about how the brain works share tips to train to the brain to look at life like a child again. Frank Gardner, John Medina, Dr. Michel Michael Merzenich, Dr. Ellen Weber are just a few.
I've committed myself to be a life-long learner and explorer. To try to look at life and the journey with curiosity and willingness. While I like routine, I also like change and embrace new and fresh ideas. I try them on for a while, just like we used to do when we were kids and played dress up. If it doesn't work for me, it doesn't fit right or doesn't look good on me, I move on to something else. It’s ok not to make up your mind immediately. I give myself time to climb into an experience, view it, talk about it, explore it, change it to my liking and then reflect about it.
Isn’t that what life’s journey is really about?
I love this conversation! Having the freedom to explore and try new things on without worrying about making “lifetime commitments” once you've started is how we keep our child place alive in our adult bodies. What I've noticed as a welcome change in my own personal development is the willingness to allow myself to learn and to make mistakes without being embarrassed or worrying about what other people think. On a daily basis, I practice managing my need to be approved of by other people. Just like our efforts to develop any physical muscle, this habit requires constant focus and attention.
Good point, Jamie – so often it's fear that can lead to the procrastination as opposed to simple laziness.
I read a report a little while back that reinforces your comments – it was something like 60% more kids that are home-schooled turn out more creative than those educated at standard schools. Perhaps a rethink of how we teach is needed?
You are right……How to keep the child place alive in our adult bodies is an enormous challenge.
Unfortunately, a large proportion of us have a boss and are dependant on his approval of our performance and what he thinks to continue filling the biscuit tin with biscuits.
Despite this, risks and new challenges are a must. The same old routine can become very boring.
Couldn't have put it better myself, Christa – yes, the real key is the “wrong decision = learning experience”. It's that risk that many don't like to take, and so they stay in the safety zone. And we know that's not going to help you grow.
So yes, it's the resilience and innocence mixture that keeps them going, and we adults can take a thing or two from that.
I was going to add something here, but you guys have covered it far more eloquently than I. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and open up a really cool conversation – now this is why I love blogging so much, the awesome comments afterwards.
I simply enjoyed reading this post.It reminded me of all the fun,sad and all those happy times spend during my childhood.I miss those golden days of my life.But still whenever I get chance play silly pranks with my kids.
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I try to be a child to a large extent, though there are times when learning lessons via experience can guide us to making better decisions that don't repeat past mistakes.