Youth Is Wasted On The Young: 10 Childhood Traits You Should Keep Forever

It was one of those mornings, you know, when you want to strangle the birds squawking outside your window and you feel like running everyone off the road during your daily commute.

Some refer to these days as “waking up on the wrong side of the bed.” I guess you could say I was in one of those moods. Consequently, I decided to cradle my pessimism like a needy infant and nurse it with some good old-fashioned Facebook rants and vague posts.

As I scrolled through my news feed, I stumbled upon a blunt quote saying something to the effect of, “Today, be as happy as you were when you were a child.”

You can imagine that after reading the quote, I was infuriated. I wanted to toss my coffee at the screen, chuck my computer out the window and call bullsh*t.

Clearly, you can never go back to being as happy as you were as a kid because your childhood coddled you from reality. As a child, you didn’t have to deal with the responsibilities of a job, bills, societal pressures, everyday life and more bills. Hell, as a child, you were happy with a tub of glue and few feathers.

As my cynicism wore off after a few shots of tequila (joking), I began to realize that maybe there was more to that quote than what I read during my stint of contempt.

I realized there are certain qualities every child possesses that make him or her sparkle, and if a person retains those qualities throughout life, he or she is likely to be someone who stands out from a pack of Negative Nancys.

Here are 10 childhood traits you should carry with you throughout life:

Curiosity

While I do not encourage curiosity in the sense of trespassing, people should always be curious about the things around them. Curiosity often leads to answers: sometimes good, sometimes bad. Nevertheless, it sparks your sense of wonder.

Sense of Adventure

We’re all guilty of digging our greasy fingers into a bag of potato chips while watching an episode of "National Geographic," thinking to ourselves, “Why can’t I do anything like that?”

Ah, but here’s the thing, my friend: You can do that. Sometimes we become so accustomed to our daily routine that we’re afraid to shake things up a bit. Embrace your inner Bilbo Baggins, and never lose your sense of adventure -- even if it’s in your own backyard.

Humor

Boring people suck, and people who take themselves too seriously usually end up being quoted in satirical memes. Is that how you want to end up? Have a sense of humor, people.

Playfulness

Small children are always happy because to them, all of life is a game. You may think adulthood has sucked the fun out of everything, but you’re wrong. You’re never too old to unleash your inner child and find the simple pleasures in life, whether it’s with your significant other or best friend.

Never Stop Questioning

Each day, brilliant people uncover earth’s discoveries. That’s because they’ve never stopped questioning. While ignorance may be bliss, searching for answers to lingering questions will always take you on a quest. (I mean this spiritually, rather than you going through your boyfriend’s phone records.)

Remember, You’re Free

This is often forgotten: You are free. You’re free to make your own decisions, to travel down your own path. These luxuries are not granted to everyone in the world, so it’s certainly something to never take for granted.

Appreciation

I guarantee, the minute you stop looking into the things you don’t have and start appreciating the things you do have, you’ll soon be the poster child for happiness. Everyone has something to be grateful for in life.

Motivation

Think back to when you were a kid. Your aspirations probably involved becoming an astronaut, movie star or doctor. Somewhere down the road, those ambitions might start to dwindle, thanks to life’s hardships. Never lose sight of your goals. When you get there, everything you endured will make the reward that much better.

Kindness

This one is pretty simple: Be a kind person. The world is a mess thanks to all the bullies.

Constantly Embrace New Things

There are so many amazing things in this world. Instead of being the kid watching from the sidelines, go and make moves, even if you don’t know what you’re doing. Be random and embrace new things; you never know with whom or what you’ll fall in love.

Photo Courtesy: We Heart It