Think Like a Child

Appreciate again and again, freshly and naively, the basic goods of life, with awe, pleasure, wonder and even ecstasy, however stale these experiences may have become to others. – Abraham Maslow

Yes I know we’re adults, and I’m telling you to think like a child, and honestly, I can’t think of any better advice to give someone.  Before you can think like a child, think about how a child thinks. I’m serious. Think about the wonder and amazement and the zeal and zest for living that a child has.  Think about the excitement a child can have over the simplest thing – getting an ice cream, or a balloon, or even splashing in a puddle on a rainy day.

That joy for life, that zest for living is something we never, ever want to lose.  Think like a child.  Find joy and beauty in the simple things, in the mundane everyday facets of life.  Don’t let those experiences become stale. Don’t let them sour you, and take away your childlike awe and wonderment.

So yes, I will urge you to think like a child, and I will continue to think like a child.  I won’t shirk my adult responsibilities, but I will continue to find wonder and joy in the everyday things that life brings me.  Am I going to giggle and laugh with glee when presented with my credit card bill? Probably not.  But I will think back to what I used that card for and I will find happiness and joy in it.  Even if it’s something as mundane as a car repair?  Why? Because hey, I have a car, and I have places to go, and people to see, and my car can take me there. So think like a child and find joy in living.