There is absolutely nothing wrong with being “childish”. Society has become so disillusioned with its competitive pursuits throughout time, of being emotionally superior, more technologically advanced, financially empowered, and intellectually primed, that certain traits are unfortunately wrongly attributed as child-like. For example, the act of crying is perceived as a character flaw, a sign of weakness, which are attributed to babies. An inability to forgive is also perceived to be a child-like quality. Not pursuing the rat-race and achieving high standards of material gain are also scorned as not ‘grown up’. All quite the opposite, actually.We are essentially beasts at our core and our emotional reactions to love and hate are instinctive. The difference between our furry four legged friends and the human species is that our brains allow us to make choices and to a certain extent regulate our instincts. Theirs don’t. In a communal mass, these choices, often translated into action, are aggregated into the development of social morality. A natural and unexplainable sense of knowing what is right and wrong, of good versus evil.
Children have the same feelings of hurt and joy as adults do. But they do not have the benefit of wisdom, that is a collection of different applications of our knowledge and the resulting experiences thereof, throughout their relatively limited time horizons.
In comparison, as adults, we have grown aloof in our relationships, not thinking twice about disappointment, treating it as a normal feature in life, as we have grown used to it and as there is no guide to correct that feeling of loneliness when it does transpire. We develop an arrogance that is borne out of rejection and our resulting defense to it, and consequently shut ourselves out to the discovery of life’s bountiful offerings. It is this arrogance that we also think that our standards are the right ones, and we harbor varying degrees of ill-will to those who do not share them. We become life’s worst cancer. It has degenerated en masse into an irreversible, incurable and invisible plague that has devoured society’s fabric of faith and love, as evidenced by betrayal and wars that have marked the passages of time.
So what is the answer to living a life that is full. And what does being a child have to do with any of it. If we could formulate life and our approach to it into a few variables, it would be this:
- Wisdom = Experience x Time
- Experience = Attitude + f(Manifestation and Application of Thought into Action)
- Wisdom = Attitude + f(Manifestation and Application of Thought into Action) x Time
Wisdom is the measure of experience that we gain throughout time. And our experience is the summation of our attitudes employed with a factor of how we have translated them into thought and action. This equates to wisdom being a summation of our attitudes and how we have translated them into thought and action.
And so it is that if we remove time, which is a measure of our progression in life, wisdom would still be demonstrated as the sum of all our attitudes, that are governed by our emotions that we choose in dictating our approach to life.
My point is this. Do not become bitter victims of age. Do not be jaded by the negatives in life, but approach each experience positively and charge yourself with enthusiasm. You do not need to be an adult to experience positive emotions and to exercise constructive actions. To view life through the eyes of a child, would be a big improvement from where we all are now.
Think about it. Slow down for a minute and consider stopping for a breather. Invest a few minutes of your life blossoming, instead of wasting a few days ageing and dying. And think about it.
There really isn’t any point making the wrong choices in life. Come to an early realization. Do not become slaves to time. Do not sign up as pawns to today's social normalcy. Do not give in to hate, envy, greed, and ignorant prejudices. Because you can make the choices on how you want to feel. You are in charge. You are one spirit. You are your own spirit. There is only one brain, one heart, that rules over who you are. And there is no other who can be more responsible for who you can potentially be.
Go play. We came into this life as kids. And we shall leave as kids. What happens in between those fifty, or sixty, or seventy years, is a product that you create. Do not grow up into such ‘adults’ that we forget to live our lives as children. We were not born to be politicians, policemen, soldiers, kings and rulers. We were all born equal and we will all die equal. Do not choose to fight. Do not choose to give in to pessimism. Keep a safe distance from the frills and distractions in life so that you are not swallowed whole by them. Instead approach them simplistically and with an awareness and a willingness to learn and with gratitude if they become gifts.
Love like a child. Unconditionally and perhaps even innocently. Do not expect anything back. Go back to basics and strip 'complexities' down to their bare bones. Because life really isn't at all that complicated. When we make a conscious effort to choose and to constantly communicate this message through our attitudes and deeds to all throughout our time on earth, I am confident that our lives will be more fulfilling and meaningful. Our world, that much more a wonderful home to experience and share our lives in.And only because everyone loves a child.
