How a Child’s Mind Can Bring Clarity to Your Life
Everyday adult struggles we ignore
I've been living with my sister and her 2 kids for the past couple of months. It's been an eye-opener for what to expect when I have kids of my own one day.
Both my nephews are by my side, doing their best to follow a simple task I gave; to stay quiet for 2 hours, while I write this article. Not that this got them to stop bugging me, but at least it's calm.
The girl resorted to hand gestures to communicate, while the boy took out a drawing tablet, to write down his questions.
Children show us a younger perception of the world that we, as adults, forget. There are meanings behind their curiosities and wild untainted imagination.
In their first 7 years, their physical body grows and with it comes the development of their personality. The struggles they will face later on in their lives begin to surface.
This made me realize a few things about myself that are healthy to revisit. Most of us face the same challenges, burdened by their weight that hinders our self-growth.
Here are some of the things I've pondered on.
Patience & Frustration
Yesterday I was working on my geometry and it caught the eye of my nephew. He pulled out his set, a few papers and sat with me intent on learning. He didn’t realize how much practice he needed to use a compass and perfect a circle. For a whole hour, he battled, frustrated by his lack of success, on the verge of giving up after each attempt.
Why do we rush to give up when we try something new? How much quicker when it’s something challenging that takes us out of our comfort zone?
Everything needs practice to excel at. This doesn’t apply to challenging things alone, but anything we do for the first time. The frustration caused by a lack of patience is an obstacle we need to overcome. Success is always around the corner but we must be willing to take an extra step to see what’s behind it.
Time
It may feel like hours have gone by in a child’s mind when it’s only been minutes. It’s only the tasks that we regard as chores that make time feel like it stopped. Something as small as brushing your teeth for a few minutes feels infinite. While staring at a screen for hours, feels instant.
I get the same when I’m sitting on my desk at work for 8 hours when I can be as productive in 2. When I’m writing, 3–4 hours feel like moments once I get into the right mindset. Reading feels faster when you immersed yourself in the beauty of the language and the depth of the story.
Time is one of the most essential things to understand during our time on Earth. One of the reasons we’re here is to learn how to work with it instead of against it. When you’re unsatisfied, time feels like a burden. When you’re having fun, doing something you love, time ceases to exist.
Decisions
It's been raining outside for the past 2 days. Being bound indoors limits kids freedom of thought. Like a wild animal trapped in a zoo. Even though surrounded by toys and things to do, choosing one is a challenge.
My abundant curiosity does the same to me when endless ideas come to mind. Children develop their curiosity before other things. We compare their minds to a sponge that soaks any and all information it can. It stays thirsty, no matter how much you water it.
Our distracted lives make us forget how little we know. We dive deep into courses and training that are necessary for a job we hate. We lie to ourselves and say they were beneficial but we do them against our will, so how could they be?
I never cared about sales techniques and processes. Give me a lesson in psychology instead. I'll sit in a conference room for days, eager to learn the depth of my own and another's mind.
Materialism
Children get jealous of what others have. Most adults are the same. Many of us share an obsession with making money but have no truthful way of spending it. We're tempted by what others show off with and what they have.
We want the same things, then once acquired, they diminish in value. We work our asses off to get whatever we were told we should have, then soon enough, we start looking for the next thing we again, think we want.
There are minimal things that give us comfort and happiness. Consumerism keeps us wanting whatever is new. We are victims of marketed ads that sell us a value that doesn't exist.
Aren't you tired of hearing that new phones have very little differences yet swarms of people wait in queues to get their hands on the next same thing?
Do you need to live in a mansion like your favourite celebrity that can't find their own kitchen? Why do you need 5 cars and 10 watches? They all serve the same purpose regardless of their price tag.
The end of silence
I got my quiet time to write a few words while both of my nephews experienced silence for 2 hours. I'm surprised they pulled it off.
If you're wondering what the kids did while I was writing.
The girl was playing with her dolls, creating a world of queens and fairies, magic and love. The boy immersed himself in drawings and felt like typing a few words.
Whatever I'm doing, my nephew wants to try. English isn't his first language but I decided to end this piece with what little he wrote — unedited.
Hi it is Rémy's nephew, I am 7 years old, my sister is 5. Yesterday it was kind of fun drawing with Rémy by the way i am Ian my sester is Amy wen i saw Rémi drawing i felte like lerning an then i started lerning with the compass then I liked the idea an than started lerning every day and now i am drawing difficult things i like drawing it is one of mi favorite activity
