Lifestyle

The Real Reason Why Children Have The Right Idea About Life

by Colleen Hehir
Stocksy

Stop however you are currently living because you’re probably doing it wrong. Regardless of whether or not you woke up on time every morning for the past week or paid your credit card bill early, I can guarantee that that there is something missing in your life.

Take a quick second to think back to the chubby-faced child you used to be. You were a cute one, right? If you can remember the dimple of your smile or grit between your nails, you can definitely recall how, at one stage in your incredibly young life, you believed that the world was made for you.

There’s no shame in admitting it; there isn’t an adult alive who never once experienced the magic of feeling exceptionally special. That’s the beauty of childhood: the unshakeable faith in the most extraordinary of things.

We once dreamt of becoming famous or having Prince Charming fall head-over-heels in love with us because we believed ourselves worthy of such things.

You can talk from here to the next millennium about how nauseating and incredibly backwards kids really are, but the one thing they possess that trumps every last one of those arguments is an almighty sense of self-worth.

Now, pluck up some courage and try to be honest with yourself: Where on earth did that “because I’m worth it” feeling go? There’s a simple answer. During the growing up process, when you increased in both height and wit, a vital part of you drastically shrunk.

The blind faith in wishing upon stars and stray eyelashes began to falter, and the realization that you must take others into consideration gradually sank in. These two details of aging are a natural process we all undertake, but the way in which we cease to wish upon anything and convince ourselves that we’re but a mere drop in the ocean is one of the most unnatural processes imaginable.

As we age, we stare ourselves down all too mercilessly. Our hair is never good enough; our charisma is never sharp enough, and gradually, we begin to believe that we’re just not enough. What happens then, you might ask?

Think of a time when you purposely denied yourself an opportunity, fearing it was too good for you. Have you ever wondered why? Of course you have — who hasn’t?

If ever you have experienced the pain of rejection or humiliation, you will go to extraordinary lengths to protect yourself from a repeat offense of such hurt. How does one go about this? It's simple: Lower expectations and dumb down your dreams to the point of being too blunt to have any edge.

This may mean closing yourself in from the world around you, but at least you’re intact, right? You may be surviving by following your sense of reason like a bloodhound, but are you actually living? When was the last time you crossed your fingers and took a chance?

The truth is that you never grew out of the daydreaming child you once were. Your childhood, and all the magic it entailed, is the root from which you grew into the person you are today. You will flourish by absorbing that ambition and confidence you have within.

We mattered when we were young and we believed that we mattered more than we ever could have explained, so if you can still recognize that sense of worth, feed from it. Otherwise, you will wither prematurely, which is a horrible waste of a life that could have been.

You have more time than you may think. There’s no excuse for you not to look at your reflection and realize that you’re still worth it. Whatever rejection or humiliation you previously suffered didn’t cut you down the middle. You’re still breathing and still functioning.

Think of when you were learning to ride a bike at age 6: There were probably a lot of scraped knees and shrieks of horror before you finally managed to figure it out and ride. Still, you never gave up because that determined 6-year-old you were knew you could do it.

Feed from the fire that burned in your childhood heart. You’ll stride through life with might in your fists and fire in your belly if you hold on to your roots for all they're worth.

Life isn’t really like a box of chocolates; rather, it’s more like a bike. Don’t waste your life by staying on your training wheels. Takes risks and race off into the sunset.

Photo Courtesy: We Heart It