Children

Embracing the Child Within

About this Activity

Lately, I am Getting Constant Reminders from my Daughter About how Simple Life Should Be.

Looking into her innocent little 2-year-old eyes when life gets busy and complicated seems to evaporate everything else going on at that moment.

For example, just the other day, I witnessed grownups speaking to each other, and there were so many issues going on in the conversation. Then I looked at my daughter, in her own world, just giggling and playing and enjoying the grass she was sitting in. It was a great chance for me to observe the two completely different worlds I was sitting between.

It made me realize that we grown-ups sure tend to complicate life at times. Does it really have to be that way? Think back to when we were children when the whole world was fascinating beyond compare. To when we found pure happiness in the simplest and smallest things. To when we made playing, silliness, laughter, and exploring a priority. Why did we stop?

Many people say that you are met by the “real world when you grow up,” and then you simply must change your ways to survive. I don’t buy it. Yes, we now have bills to pay. Yes, we now have real issues to deal with every day. But can’t we still embrace the child within us who wants to play and dance and laugh? How much more fun would our lives be if we did this?

Children are great teachers. I say we follow their lead more often.

What can you do to bring more play into your life?

Nichole Lindroth Bontrager

CEO & Life Enthusiast at Maria’s Place

Read more from Nichole; here, she writes about Quiet moments.

In Pivoting Fear and Unease, she writes about changing your thinking perspective.