JOIN USKids, especially those between one and three years of age, have a lot to teach us, adults, reckons Anusha Shashidhar.
You have your boss breathing down your neck. You have deadlines, many unrealistic ones. You have to endure a torturous traffic to snail your way back home. You have a long list of groceries to buy on the way, lest your family goes hungry the next morning.
You do not know when you will get a pay hike, if at all you will, that is. You do not know whether you will get that bonus in time for your family trip. You do not know whether your client will respond positively, and your performance is at stake. You do not know if your dream job even remotely feels like a dream anymore.
It feels like your worries have no end, your fears make you bend, your mistakes don’t seem to mend, and you somehow pass it all for “the woes of being an adult”, or so you sulk and pretend.
An adult’s life is not that different from a little child’s as you may think. Sure, children don’t have to bother paying bills or watch what they eat for fear of getting fat.
Sure, children don’t have to fear break-ups or commitments, or what their boss will pester them with next.
But children, too, have their woes, you know. Like not wanting to eat radish, but being force-fed by their mommies.
They, too, have their fair share of doubts. Like what if upturning the red chair does not make as much noise as upturning the green chair?
They, too, have their fears. Like what if one day, suddenly, Oswald – the octopus went all red instead of blue, or their mother disappeared from sight?
You might laugh it off with a wave of your hand, but to the kids, it is a world in itself. It is the world as kids know it. How they experience happiness and pain is no different from how adults experience the same emotions.
But what do kids do then, that makes them seem so much happier than adults? What is it that we need to learn from them?
Being fearless
Ever seen a small child fear a dog or even, a gorilla? S/he is more likely to have his/her hand down the animal’s throat! Of course, the kid doesn’t know it is dangerous. But what you need to note is how the child is ignorant of that danger.
We adults tend to analyse risks too much to enjoy the good bits life has to offer. We hesitate, we cringe, we fear. A little caution would be nice. But we don’t have to view the world with eyes clouded in fear.
Being cheeky
We, adults, are almost always caught up in finding “meaning of life”, in our quest for happiness. Ironically, that’s exactly what takes away our happiness. We want something, and then we don’t know where to look for it and what to do in order to get it. Ever seen a kid playing building blocks? Ask her where the last piece of it went, and she will tell you, cheekily, “I ordered for a special piece. It is yet to be delivered,” or something to that effect. Little kids never look at setbacks as “imperfection”. They view them as opportunities to fabricate something creative.
Being stupid
The antics of a little child are always fun to watch. Even the stupidest things they do look utterly cute. Ever wondered why? It’s not just because they look like cuddly toys, but also because they do not bother who is watching them.
They let themselves go crazy, just to have fun. So the next time you are on the dance floor, don’t bother about who’s watching you. But what if you look stupid? It’s okay. Look stupid for a change; it’s fun.
Being open
Nothing hurts more than a child’s truth. Well, kids certainly have a way with laying it all bare. They do not really bother who it hurts. They just want to vent it all out.
We, as adults, might not consider it a good thing. But the way we bottle-up our emotions is plain unhealthy.
So the next time you don’t like what your boss says, express it; it’s harder than you think to get fired.
Sure, s/he might not like you much after that. But that will only make you rethink if you want to work for a company where you have no say.
Being imaginative
Albert Einstein once said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world...” Kids seem to have a better hang of what he said than adults. The little ones do not chase knowledge; they imagine. It makes them happy. Naming a doll “Boo-boo” seems more appropriate than a common and seemingly meaningful “Benny” or “Betty”.
We, on the other hand, are forever chasing the title of “Mr/Ms Know-It-All”, and our fingers are always itching to Google all and sundry on earth and beyond. If only we let our minds wander away to glory, we will realise that we do have brains, even without technology.
Being present
It is true that most of our worries are imagined. We waste our imagination dreaming up “what if” situations that could test us. While some planning is certainly prudent, dwelling on “what-if” problems does no good.
Do you see kids being worried, planning for tomorrow? Sure, they don’t have a loan to repay. But they do have homework to complete. Yet, they do not seem stressed. Why? Because they know to enjoy every moment. Being naive has its perks for both, kids and adults alike. So be a little naive and learn to live in the present.