Learn From Your Little People

Little People know things that we as adults seem to forget. Little People are confident, more courageous and enjoy life far more than adults. We can learn some important lessons from our younger selves to bring more joy and clarity into our adult lives.

Every day is a fresh start

“Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?” – L.M. Montgomery

When you are young, every day feels like an eternity and a new day means new opportunities to make new friends, have new adventures and learn new things.  Little People do not carry baggage from one day to the next.  They always start each day fresh.

Laugh every day

“A day without laughter is a day wasted.” – Charlie Chaplin

Little People have the ability to find joy all around them.    Watch your little person when they are out and about with you, they always see something to make them smile and laugh.

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

Little people… they get upset and the next moment they forget about it. They forgive and forget so easily.

Be active

“Play energizes and enlivens us. It eases our burdens. It renews our natural sense of optimism and opens us up to new possibilities.” – Stuart Brown

When you were young, playing outside was the highlight of your day. You would run and chase your friends until you were out of breath.  You would jump and do cartwheels at the drop of a hat and you never thought of it as “exercise” or “daily fitness.” It was just playing. And it was fun.

Be courageous

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” – Anais Nin

Sing out loud, dance when you feel like it.  A little person’s life feels limitless because they are not confined by fears of failure or humiliation. They march forward with determination because they don’t know any better. They say whatever is on their minds.  They embrace life and all it has to offer with open arms.

Nurture friendship

“In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.” – Khalil Gibran

Little people find true joy while playing with friends and they love making new ones. They join soccer teams, go to birthday parties, and start new daycares.  These are all ways that little people make new friends.  Little people adhere to the motto, “the more the merrier,” and adults should, as well.

Love Unconditionally

“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.” – Hafez

Learn to give without expecting anything in return, for that is what real and unconditional love is all about, and that is what little people 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.

Try new things.

“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” – Andre Gide

Little people are not afraid to play a sport they have never tried before. They will jump on a trampoline, dive into a pool or ski down a mountain even if it is foreign to them.  As adults, we fear the unknown. We stay in our comfort zone and rarely venture out.  Adventure exhilarates us and awakens the spirit.

Creative Pursuits are fun and good for you

“Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

Little People will lose themselves in a creative project for hours, paying attention to detail while playing with sand, making things and drawing.  How many of us do creative projects to relax or have fun.  As adults, we stop seeing creative activities as worthwhile.  

Be the hero

“Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.” – Nora Ephron

When your little person tells you a story about school or the soccer field, they are usually the hero of their story. The world revolves around them. As we age, we don’t want to be seen as conceited, so we downplay our accomplishments and achievements. We put ourselves down to make others feel better or to be more relatable.

Notice the little things.

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” – Robert Brault

Something simple that we take for granted brings little people immense joy.  Feeding a pet out of their hand, playing in a pile of leaves.  When did we stop noticing the tiny things that surround us daily?  How much more beautiful would life be if we could see these things again?

Scars are badges of honor.

“Every day you either see a scar or courage. Where you dwell will define your struggle.” – Dodinsky

When a little person breaks a bone, everyone they know will sign the cast. They become the superstar of the class, the survivor. If they fall down and cut themselves, everyone wants to see the scar, they wear it proudly. As we get older, we hide our scars, our wounds become our secrets. We don’t want to be seen as weak or pitied, so we tell no one where it hurts. But what little people recognize is that scars aren’t signs of weakness, a scar is a sign of strength and survival.

“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.” – Paulo Coelho