Each time I get a question on how to practice mindfulness my answer is simple – observe children!
Have you seen a toddler engrossed in doodling on their notebook, or playing with water in the bathroom, or eating their favorite snack?
Have you ever wondered how it is that kids wake up every day with so much to look forward to despite having a pre-decided regimented day (not their choice of course)?
They have lesser say or control over what they are allowed to do as compared to the adults around them yet that doesn’t take away an iota of their excitement. Their curiosity is palpable and thriving from the moment they open their eyes to the time they hit their beds out of sheer exhaustion (and sometimes even then it’s not over).
This has definitely got to do with certain skills that they inherently are born with. We had those too till we lost them growing up.
- Focus – Energy flows where focus goes. They wake up focusing only on what they will explore and experience. In fact, most times they wake up like blank canvases waiting for the first moment to paint their feelings. No matter how their previous day had panned out, they have the unwavering belief that the universe has planned a new start to their day.
- No expectations – Unlike us adults with our need to control events, kids on the contrary enjoy the randomness. They absorb events as and when they come to them.
- No attached meanings – They do not assume or create stories in their head; they wait for facts. If they don’t get facts, they keep nagging you till they understand it clearly.
- They move on – A bad event doesn’t mean they will continue in the frame for long. They express their negative emotions wholeheartedly. One moment they are crying, screaming angry, or annoyed, and then the slightest distraction can have them laughing and giggling like nothing ever happened.
- They experience their emotions fully – They don’t keep anything for later. They do not believe in procrastinating. It’s now and right now only. That impatience may be annoying for us adults, but kids never want to leave a moment for later.
As we grow older, we create false meanings, false attachments, false expectations. At the same time, we rein-in our ability to experience something fully. Believe it or not, we come in the way of our own happiness. We get overwhelmed about wanting to control the future and changing the past. Both happen to be absolutely futile attempts. We cloud our days with insincere talks, weak associations, virtual relationships. Eventually, we forget living.
Let’s learn from our kids.
Let’s be like our kids
Let’s keep them the way they are.
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Dr Bhavana Gautam is a Holistic Health Health Coach at Rachna Restores and you can find more details about her HERE. For more such articles and content on health & wellness, don’t forget to follow us!
