Every baby enters this world carrying a gift.
Innocence.
The mystery is not how we arrive with it.
The mystery is whether we can keep enough of it to take it with us when we leave.
Have you ever noticed what happens when a newborn baby enters a room?
People smile.
Voices soften.
Eyes brighten.
Even complete strangers seem drawn to that tiny life.
There is something powerful about innocence.
Something sacred.
Something that reminds us of who we once were.
A mother carrying a child often glows with anticipation.
The family gathers.
Plans are made.
Dreams are shared.
Then the great moment arrives.
A new life enters the world.
Pure.
Unblemished.
Trusting.
Completely dependent upon others.
Placed gently into our hands for care, protection, and guidance.
And it makes me wonder.
How do we come into this world so innocent…
Yet often leave carrying so much baggage?
What happens along the way?
The answer is simple.
Life happens.
SOMETHING IS ALWAYS TRYING TO STEAL YOUR INNOCENCE.
AND IT NEVER STOPS TRYING.
Disappointment visits.
Pain visits.
Fear visits.
Loss visits.
Temptation visits.
Resentment visits.
Life has a way of testing every one of us.
Some challenges are visible.
Others are invisible.
But they are real.
And they come with an agenda.
To harden us.
To discourage us.
To make us cynical.
To make us forget who we really are.
Fortunately, there is another force at work.
Love.
Compassion.
Kindness.
Faith.
Hope.
Service.
These things fight for us just as fiercely.
It becomes our responsibility to choose which force we will strengthen.
One of the great privileges of life is protecting innocence wherever we find it.
Parents caring for children.
Teachers shaping young minds.
Doctors healing the sick.
Police officers protecting the vulnerable.
Volunteers giving their time.
Grandparents sharing wisdom.
Ordinary people doing extraordinary things through simple acts of kindness.
The strong are often called upon to protect those who cannot yet protect themselves.
That responsibility is one of life’s greatest honors.
As I wrote in Pearls for the Soul:
“The measure of maturity is not how much innocence you lose, but how much kindness you preserve.”
— Richie Naggar, Pearls for the Soul
The older I get, the more I realize that success is not merely about what you accumulate.
It is about what you preserve.
Can you preserve your wonder?
Your gratitude?
Your compassion?
Your ability to forgive?
Your ability to trust?
Your willingness to help?
Can you walk through life without becoming bitter?
That may be one of the greatest accomplishments available to any human being.
LIFE IS LIKE DRIVING A CAR AND TURNING THE WHEEL.
MAKE THE TURN…
BUT THEN STRAIGHTEN OUT.
Mistakes will visit you.
Let them teach you.
Do not let them define you.
Pain will visit you.
Let it deepen your understanding.
Do not let it harden your heart.
Success will visit you.
Enjoy it.
Do not become arrogant because of it.
Failure will visit you.
Learn from it.
Do not surrender because of it.
Every experience has something to teach.
Take the lesson.
Leave the bitterness behind.
Remember that every person you meet is fighting battles you know nothing about.
They are trying to figure life out just like you are.
They have victories.
They have wounds.
They have fears.
They have dreams.
Treat them accordingly.
Lend a hand when you can.
Offer encouragement when you can.
And if you cannot help…
At least do not hinder.
LEAVE THE SAME WAY YOU CAME IN.
Not childish.
Childlike.
There is a difference.
Children possess wonder.
Curiosity.
Forgiveness.
Trust.
Joy.
Presence.
Children can laugh freely.
Cry honestly.
Love openly.
Perhaps that is why wisdom traditions throughout history have pointed back toward the child.
Not because children know everything.
But because they remain open to everything.
The goal of life may not be to become more complicated.
It may be to become simpler.
To rediscover what was there in the beginning.
To carry your experiences without carrying bitterness.
To gain wisdom without losing wonder.
To gain strength without losing kindness.
To grow older without growing hard.
Maybe that is the mystery.
We came into this world as children.
Perhaps the greatest achievement is learning how to leave the same way.
— Richie
Pearls for the Soul
when you feed the soul, you feed everything.
https://pearlsforthesoul.com
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