“There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.” – Sophia Loren
Childhood is one of the most important stages of our lives. It sets the foundation for who we are now, and who we are soon to become.
As adults, we acquire of a great palette of personal traits that take over our personalities: fear, anger, joy, sadness, , and impatience. We lose some of the innocence we exploited as kids. But that innocence wasn’t without reason.
When we take a closer look, children seem almost untouchable; lost in the happenings of what goes on around us. They care not for wars overseas or specific tensions that divide us all. All they know is that there is a limitless world out there and that it’s up to them to explore it. In a way, it’s admirable the way they start out.
When asked about the children we used to be, we rationalize all of the actions we made. “We were just being stupid kids” or “I didn’t know better. I’m all grown up now.”
Don’t be ashamed of the things you did in the past, for if you never did them would you be the same person you are now?
Nonetheless, no matter how old we become, no matter how many gray hairs of wisdom we accrue, and no matter how many people may deny it, our youthful spirit still lies within us. In some of us, it lays dormant, waiting to ignite passion within its medium. For others, it is already aflame, hard at work keeping them going, driving them to pursue seemingly impossible tasks.
Childhood, though everyone’s is different, still teaches us lessons. It still guides us towards the success we desire for ourselves and for others.
Dares us to push harder
Where does the energy come from to challenge our limits? It comes from our childlike spirit of course! It has been instilled within us at an early age that we must be persistent. Our parents practically pulled their hair out when trying to deter us from something we wanted. Youth dares us to go against obstacles that block our path. Whether or not we succeed, the fact that we attempted is all that matters. If a child doesn’t get what they want, do you think they will give up? Not likely.
Shuts off our thinking when it comes to risk
Impulsive, irrational, and out of control: that’s how children in general conduct themselves. Now I’m not saying that we should embody these traits, but as adults we tend to over think all of the risky options that could be potentially be profitable for us. As kids, we try anything and everything we can get our hands on, no matter how ridiculous. Take that mindset and experiment it a little. Think less about the risk and a bit more about the reward it could bring you.
Forces us to choose quality above all else
Ever heard a kid say “I don’t want that one, I want the red one”? If you have, you know that kids demand exactly what they want and don’t settle for anything less. Their standards are unbreakable and yours should be the same. Settling for less than we think we deserve isn’t a good habit to cultivate. Sure it will take a bit more work in order to attain, but so what? When you really want something, you have to go all out, and push yourself in ways you never have before.
Youth is one of life’s greatest gifts. With every generation they grow, smarter, stronger, and more powerful than ever before. You’re laying the foundation for them right now. Through the work you do every morning, and the advice you send to them everyday. Don’t forget that you were once a kid yourself. Though we may have grown older in body and mind, our youthful spirit remains the same. It drives us to pursue seemingly impossible tasks and have them carried out.
We will not exist in this world forever, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make an impact or succeed. We CAN. It just takes a little spirit to do so.
This guest post was written by: John Anyasor, as was previously posted on: Change Your Thoughts - Change Your Life (Blog).
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