Let Your Inner Child Out To Play!

There’s a certain wonder in childhood that is easily forgotten as we grow up. They say a child has wonderment in their heart because they have not learned to hold back and they want to experience everything.

I watched a child eat bread recently. He went straight for the center and picked out the soft part with his hands then threw the crust out to one side. No doubt most parents find that kind of behavior quite annoying.

There’s actually a lot to be said for children’s unapologetic delight for what gives them the most joy.

It got me thinking that, as adults, we should imitate children so we can relearn to love life.

When I think of all the energy that goes to waste doing things I hate — whether it’s paying bills, organizing drawers, doing laundry, filling out tax forms or just worrying. These are the things that drain the fun out of life.

Of course some of these things have to be done, but that doesn’t mean we should invest any more than the absolute minimum of attention in them.

The strategy I’ve been using for shifting my focus away from the drudgery of these mundane tasks is to remind myself of what I actually like to do.

If we are struggling to remember what it is we enjoy, we should take a little inspiration from children. We should reconnect with our inner child. Eating ice cream, riding a bicycle, dressing up or playing with pets are all activities we can enjoy no matter our age.

We should be mindful of another aspect when it comes to enjoying our lives: we have to take good care of our bodies.

It’s interesting to note that, in ancient Rome, people were well aware that a healthy mind was only possible if the body was healthy too. We seem to have lost touch with that awareness. It still holds true today, especially if we want to enjoy life.

Most importantly, of course, if our body is healthy, we are much more likely to live longer.

A Harvard University study looked at the lives of 18,000 of their graduates, paying attention to how exercise featured in their lives. The study concluded that for each hour of exercise people undertook, they added an average of three hours to their life span.

We should use exercise to take care of our body. It doesn’t have to be extreme. Just a regular walk outside or on a treadmill will take us a long way.

They say that a child sees magic. Don’t we all want to feel that way? I do. We should never lose that wonder and eagerness about life.