The Sky's the Limit :)

People, I think, are born knowing everything.

And then we forget.

Okay, maybe we don't know everything when we're born, but we do know a lot. Like how to appreciate. How to love. How to have fun. How to play. How to wonder... And, most importantly, we know that the sky's the limit.

As adults, we forget this invaluable way of thinking. We no longer listen to the child within us. Instead, we listen to our egos, feed our egos, and nurture our egos... Until our egos are the only voice we hear. The ego cares about your reputation. The ego cares if you're fat, blonde, ugly, or blue. It cares about how much money you have and how many glamorous vacations your take and how big your house is and how smart you appear...

Or, in more simple terms, the ego cares very much about keeping up with the Joneses.

Children, on the other hand, tend to ignore their egos. To a child, the voice of the ego is boring, stupid and, quite frankly, a poo-poo-head. (Nice, huh?) It doesn't want to have fun. It doesn't want to appreciate. The ego hates to play, thinks all adventures are scary, and doesn't know how to love. And the ego certainly doesn't believe that the sky is the limit.

Do you remember when you were a kid? Just getting up in the morning was exhilerating. I remember clamoring out of bed at practically the crack of dawn just so I wouldn't miss one single second of the day. It was all my mother could do to make sure I ate a quick breakfast and ran a comb through my hair before I darted outside in mismatched clothes to meet up with the neighborhood boys for another exciting adventure - visiting the local pond and catching tadpoles, climbing mulberry trees, diving into the pool in our backyard, racing our bikes up to our elementary school and back... Or, my personal favorite, playing kickball on the hilly street in front of our house. (Thank you, Matt Pride, wherever you are, for always letting me be at the top of the hill for that game.)

To children, it's the little things that are important. Happiness can be uncovered with just the tiniest bit of effort. A perfect night would be spent catching lightening bugs, with Kool-Aid stains on our shirts and chins. Or playing a (gasp) non-electronic board game with our best friend on the living room floor while munching guilt-free on chips and dip. Or, as I re-learned this past weekend, bliss can be found simply by blowing bubbles in a field on a sunny morning. (Thank you, Nora!)

Am I saying that I'm perfect? No. Of course I've fallen victim to my ego. There have even been times when I've foolishly given it permission to dictate my life. All too often I've allowed my ego to map out a temporary path to stress and anxiety, chart a course to depression and exhaustion, and pave the way to pride and smugness. I've followed my ego down dark allies and over bumpy roads all for the purpose of, yep, keeping up with the Joneses.

But thankfully I'm learning that the old saying is true - we are all a child at heart. We never fully give up our child-like ways of thinking. We just bury them for a bit. And with the proper care and commitment, we can reconnect with the pureness of our youth. We can uncover the ability to wonder, feel the fiery warmth of possibility, and remember the euphoric feeling of unbridled excitement.

It's all in the details. The little, simple details that make up life.

Remember, the child in us doesn't care what others think. The child in us cares only about what we think.

So if you feel like blowing off that stuffy business lunch to go and blow bubbles in a field, do it. In fact, I'll meet you there. :)

______________________

"Today is life-the only life you are sure of. Make the most of today. Get interested in something. Shake yourself awake. Develop a hobby. Let the winds of enthusiasm sweep through you. Live today with gusto."
-- Dale Carnegie