15 Things a Child can Teach an Adult

Paulo Coelho said that “A child can teach an adult three things: to be happy for no reason, to always be busy with something, and to know how to demand with all his might that which he desires.” but I say that a child can teach an adult many other things and I wanted to share them with you today. After doing a lot of research, and time spent observing the little ones interact, I came  up with a list of 15 things that a child can teach an adult.

1. HOW TO BE FEARLESS

One of the most powerful lessons we can learn from these beautiful little creatures is to be fearless, for you and I know that they fear nothing.  Of course, there needs to be a balance here because they don’t fear putting their hand in mad dog’s mouth or a hot stove, and they don’t fear being themselves and saying whatever it’s on their mind, but that’s why adults are jump in to draw the line. To be more precise, I am talking about the many fears that we humans learn over the course of our lives, fears that are simple illusions like the fear of the unknown, fear of being judged, fear of rejection, fear of what the future might bring, etc.…

2. HOW TO SEE EVERYBODY AS BEING SPECIAL

Have you noticed the admiration they have in their eyes when they look at you and everybody around you? That sparkle… They see everybody through their innocent and beautiful eyes, and they see everybody as being special and unique and that’s exactly what we all are it’s just that our lenses are too dirty and we can no longer see reality as clearly as children do.

3. HOW TO TRUST YOUR INNER KNOWING

If you ask me, we come to this world with all that we need already within us, and you can call this inner knowing, intuition, instincts, it doesn’t really matter, what really matters is for us to learn how to work with it knowing that, “all the learning in the world cannot replace instinct.”Robert Ley

4. HOW TO BE CAREFREE

The moment we allow ourselves to let go of all our fears, all our doubts and regrets, the moment we allow ourselves to let go of all those things that no longer serve us, we will be able to go back to how we once were, and just like the Enigma goes, and I will paraphrase here, we will be able to return to ourselves, to return to innocence, for that’s exactly where our essence is, that’s exactly who we are and what we are.

5. HOW TO LIVE LIFE FULLY

Who does not want that? We spend most of our lives chasing happiness, searching for meaning and balance, affirming that we want to live our lives fully, not knowing where exactly to look for and what exactly to do in order to achieve just that. Well, this is your chance to learn how to do just that by simply observing a small and innocent child in action, and eventually helping you master this important lesson.

6. HOW TO ALWAYS BE HAPPY

l want to be happy, you want to be happy, she /he wants to be happy… We all want to be happy, there is no doubt about it and deep down inside we both now it can be done. Based on how we were raised and based on our past conditioning, it may take more or less time, energy and work but if you are open and willing to move in that direction, in time you will be able to achieve just that.

7. HOW TO EXPRESS YOURSELF FREELY - IF YOU FEEL LIKE CRYING, CRY!

In his book, Hostage At The Table, George Kohlrieser actually talks about some research that was done, showing how women actually live longer lives compared to men because women are the ones who express their feeling more freely. Men, well, they are expected to be MEN!

I once heard this guy telling his child that he should stop crying because you see, crying is for girls. Funny. If you need to cry, just cry. Who cares what others might think? If that will help you feel better and if that’s what you feel like doing, just let it out and you will feel so much better afterwards. Don’t suppress your feelings. Remember that: “What soap is for the body, tears are for the soul.”Jewish Proverb

8. HOW TO LOVE UNCONDITIONALLY 

Learn to give without expecting anything in return, for that is what real and unconditional love is all about, and that is what children can teach you. Think of the Sun that shines for us without expecting anything in return. It just offers itself to us, and when it does, we are all so happy. This quote from Hafez reflects this truth so beautifully: “Even after all this time the sun never says to the earth, “you owe me.” Look what happens with a love like that. It lights the whole sky.”

9. HOW TO GIVE FROM THE HEART

You know how children when they are very young they don’t actually identify themselves with what we think they are, and when talking about themselves they usually do so in 3rd person: Dana’s doll, Dana’s dress, etc. They don’t say my dress, my doll until parents teach them to do so. Before that happens, and before they start identifying things as being theirs, they give and they share from the heart, everything with everyone and later on, we teach them to keep “their stuff” for themselves.

This is a lesson we definitely need to learn from them, knowing that when: “One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. ” Prov. 11:24

10. HOW TO FORGIVE

“Forgiveness is the answer to the child’s dream of a miracle by which what is broken is made whole again, what is soiled is made clean again.”Dag Hammarskjold

11. HOW TO ALWAYS SPEAK YOUR TRUTH

Always speak your truth, say what’s on your mind, say what you feel and what you believe in because: “Those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” Dr Seuss

12. HOW TO USE MORE OF YOUR IMAGINATION/ INSPIRATION

The world has plenty of information but not enough inspiration. If you think about it, now with the technological revolution, we get access to so much information. No matter what you do, no matter who you are, no matter where you are, learn to use more of your imagination, because just like the great Albert Einstein said it: “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution. It is, strictly speaking, a real factor in scientific research.”

13. HOW TO BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

Believe in yourself because if you don’t how can you expect others to do so? It all starts with YOU! The moment you start believing in yourself, everything will start to fall into places. “Because one believes in oneself, one doesn’t try to convince others. Because one is content with oneself, one doesn’t need others’ approval. Because one accepts oneself, the whole world accepts him or her.”Lao Tzu

14. HOW TO DREAM BIG AND AIM FOR THE SKY

“Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve.” Mary Kay Ash

15. HOW NOT TO WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW

Why worry about tomorrow when tomorrow is not here yet? You are here, now, in this moment. Just open your eyes and really see what happens  to you and all around you. Notice the beauty that you are and notice how far you have come. No matter what your past looks like and no matter how scary the future may seem, if you chose to stop worrying and really focus on what is, you will realize that your worries were in vain. “When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened.” Winston Churchill

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