Six months ago I began a journey of practicing mindfulness every day and we've reached day 206. Yesterday, I talked about believing in yourself and what you're doing no matter what. Today is a new day.
Flash-forward to the present, I'm an adult and I sometimes find myself wanting to return to my childhood, free of responsibilities and overly optimistic about everything. One thing college did was keep me focused on the pursuit of knowledge and looking forward to the future, but in my search for knowledge we end up changing our outlook on the world. I focused on "objectivity" and "reality" and found myself becoming colder as a person. I wasn't a complete dick by any means, but it was like the glimmer in everything faded away and being an adult meant living in a grey world.
That was until I graduated and actually started experiencing the world. I started to see the world as mysterious and interesting again. When I became a teacher and started working with kids I remembered something that I had long forgotten: to just let go and be silly. In growing up it was like I lost a part of myself in the process. My students will say the most nonsensical things and it's funny to them because it's so silly. They find the simplest things entertaining sometimes and other times they want to be challenged. They represent innocence because they are pure potential.
Most kids won't give up on challenges if encouraged enough. They just need the push. They won't dismiss something as impossible without at least trying it first and in the process end up making many mistakes. Logic doesn't apply to them. Even if they've tried something a million times, they'll keep trying until they get it right. That tenacity is a big reason why they carry so much potential. In the process I'll see them doing it with a look of determination or joy. When all is said and done they'll go back to doing whatever silliness they were before as if nothing ever happened. It's amazing to witness.
A lot of these traits were lost as I've gotten older and upon realizing this I've been working toward trying to maintain that innocence. As a child I was really wild and didn't care what others thought of me. I was filled with strong conviction that what I was doing was right. I was simple. Rather than taking life so seriously, I want to have fun with it and enjoy each moment when I can. Of course, I should acknowledge when I'm wrong, but I should also not let doubt keep me from believing in myself and going for the things I want to do. Rather than holding on to defeat when things don't turn out as planned, I strive to keep trying and trying until I finally get it right.
Most importantly, looking back on my childhood made me look to keep things simple and never forget who I am and what I stand for. I changed a lot from my childhood to adolescence to adulthood. We all do, but that's no excuse for me to forget about what I felt, thought, went through, and dreamed about. All of that was necessary in order to become who I am today. It serves to help me understand myself on a deeper level. No matter what happens life will continue to go on and I want to move on with it; never stuck, never a shadow of who I used to be. We live and learn, but we don't have to lose ourselves in the process, either.
Peace
"Youth can not know how age thinks and feels. But old men are guilty if they forget what it was to be young.”- J.K. RowlingWhen I was a kid I remember being so eager to grow up so I could be "free" and do whatever I wanted without realizing how many responsibilities adults have. Although I was surrounded by adults in school, be it teachers or the school staff, I never really thought about what being an adult meant other than not having to obey the rules of my parents. It was very short-sighted.
Flash-forward to the present, I'm an adult and I sometimes find myself wanting to return to my childhood, free of responsibilities and overly optimistic about everything. One thing college did was keep me focused on the pursuit of knowledge and looking forward to the future, but in my search for knowledge we end up changing our outlook on the world. I focused on "objectivity" and "reality" and found myself becoming colder as a person. I wasn't a complete dick by any means, but it was like the glimmer in everything faded away and being an adult meant living in a grey world.
That was until I graduated and actually started experiencing the world. I started to see the world as mysterious and interesting again. When I became a teacher and started working with kids I remembered something that I had long forgotten: to just let go and be silly. In growing up it was like I lost a part of myself in the process. My students will say the most nonsensical things and it's funny to them because it's so silly. They find the simplest things entertaining sometimes and other times they want to be challenged. They represent innocence because they are pure potential.
Most kids won't give up on challenges if encouraged enough. They just need the push. They won't dismiss something as impossible without at least trying it first and in the process end up making many mistakes. Logic doesn't apply to them. Even if they've tried something a million times, they'll keep trying until they get it right. That tenacity is a big reason why they carry so much potential. In the process I'll see them doing it with a look of determination or joy. When all is said and done they'll go back to doing whatever silliness they were before as if nothing ever happened. It's amazing to witness.
A lot of these traits were lost as I've gotten older and upon realizing this I've been working toward trying to maintain that innocence. As a child I was really wild and didn't care what others thought of me. I was filled with strong conviction that what I was doing was right. I was simple. Rather than taking life so seriously, I want to have fun with it and enjoy each moment when I can. Of course, I should acknowledge when I'm wrong, but I should also not let doubt keep me from believing in myself and going for the things I want to do. Rather than holding on to defeat when things don't turn out as planned, I strive to keep trying and trying until I finally get it right.
Most importantly, looking back on my childhood made me look to keep things simple and never forget who I am and what I stand for. I changed a lot from my childhood to adolescence to adulthood. We all do, but that's no excuse for me to forget about what I felt, thought, went through, and dreamed about. All of that was necessary in order to become who I am today. It serves to help me understand myself on a deeper level. No matter what happens life will continue to go on and I want to move on with it; never stuck, never a shadow of who I used to be. We live and learn, but we don't have to lose ourselves in the process, either.
Peace
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| Look back on your life from time-to-time and see what insights you can gain from remembering. |
What insights have you gained from looking back on your life?
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