Be a kid again!
I find myself longing for the easy days of my childhood a lot. The exciting thing that I’ve learned as I’ve gotten older is that I don’t have to give up my youth. Ever.
Having a youthful mind is one of the beautiful joys of life and it’s a luxury that few will acquire. A long time ago, I saw a quote that read “To be creative means to be in love with life” and I can’t agree more. The more you allow yourself to become bored, the more vibrant the world around you will become. In our fast-paced world it is easy to forget how beautiful the mundane is. The less time you spend looking at a device, or trying to find something to busy your mind, the more time you will have to appreciate the little things. Look around. Look at the bugs climbing through the grass; pay attention to the fruits as the seasons change. Take time to breathe in the warm breeze of summer and the crisp wind snap of winter. Find music that feeds your soul, not just a noise that occupies the mind.
When I was a teen, my first job was as a lifeguard. I didn’t enjoy the time I spent bored watching people swim in my isolated silence. Today, I long for the hours I got to spend cleaning the space of my mind. Children don’t have as many things to worry about; they don’t have what feels like the pressure of the world on their shoulders, but they also haven’t seen just how much the world has to offer. Take time to be in your mind and clean up the space that houses your thoughts, hopes, and dreams. Think back to when you first found out what the beach was, or the freedom that came with riding a bike. Let the little joys consume you. It is important to remember that the world won’t end if you turn something in on time rather than early. And that you aren’t missing anything when you put your phone down to read a book or paint a picture.
Go enjoy the world the way that it was created to be enjoyed. Enjoy fresh fruit, baking from scratch, going for walks, and bare grass under your feet. The world was made for us to fall down, that way we can learn and hop back up smiling when we finally make it. Today it feels scary to fail, but remind yourself that you had to fall a few times before you could run.
