Somewhere along the way…
Many of us became so busy being adults…
That we forgot how to be alive.
I am going to submit something for your consideration.
It is not complicated.
It is not revolutionary.
But it may be one of the most important things you ever rediscover.
I WANT TO SEE THE KID IN YOU.
Somewhere between paying bills, raising families, building careers, solving problems, and carrying responsibilities, many people become trapped in seriousness.
Too serious.
Too responsible.
Too focused.
Too worried.
Too determined.
Too stressed.
And before long, something quietly slips away.
Joy.
Wonder.
Curiosity.
Adventure.
Playfulness.
The very things that made life feel alive.
WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING…
SCHOOL HAS BEGUN.
THE SCHOOL OF LIFE.
I remember when I first entered the restaurant business.
I was an experienced businessman.
But I was inexperienced in restaurants.
I knew enough to know what I didn’t know.
Unfortunately, instead of learning, observing, asking questions, and enjoying the process, I became serious.
Very serious.
I became demanding.
Driven.
Willful.
Stressed.
I put pressure on myself.
Then I spread that pressure to everyone around me.
I WILL GET THIS DONE EVEN IF IT KILLS ME…
AND EVERYONE ELSE.
Sound familiar?
Many people live that way.
Every day.
As if life is some giant emergency.
As if the weight of the world rests entirely upon their shoulders.
Then one day, the owner sat me down.
He nudged me.
Not with criticism.
Not with a lecture.
Just a gentle nudge.
He asked:
“Rich, are the doors open?”
“Yes.”
“Are the cooks in the kitchen?”
“Yes.”
“Is the staff here?”
“Yes.”
“Are customers coming in?”
“Yes.”
He smiled.
“Then relax. Everything is fine. Enjoy the day.”
That simple conversation changed my perspective.
It gave me the insight I had been searching for.
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF I WASN’T HERE?
LIFE WOULD GO ON.
That realization freed me.
I discovered something powerful.
I can be serious…
Or I can be productive.
I can be stressed…
Or I can be effective.
I can be controlling…
Or I can be encouraging.
As I wrote in Pearls for the Soul:
“The child within knows how to enjoy the journey. The adult often becomes obsessed with the destination.”
— Richie Naggar, Pearls for the Soul
That day I learned a lesson I have carried ever since.
LET THE ADULT IN YOU SUPERVISE.
BUT LET THE KID IN YOU DO THE WORK.
Think about children.
When they build something, they are excited.
When they explore, they are fascinated.
When they play, they are fully present.
When they fail, they usually try again.
When they laugh, they mean it.
When they wonder, they do so without apology.
Children naturally engage life.
Adults often manage life.
One is alive.
The other is exhausted.
The kid in you knows something important.
Life is not meant to be endured.
It is meant to be experienced.
When I began leading people differently, everything changed.
Instead of pressure, there was encouragement.
Instead of fear, there was support.
Instead of threats, there was motivation.
And something remarkable happened.
People responded.
Their energy improved.
Their creativity improved.
Their attitudes improved.
The kid inside them came out to play.
WRONG APPROACH:
“You better perform or else.”
“You better not make mistakes.”
“You better get this right.”
Fear creates compliance.
But rarely greatness.
RIGHT APPROACH:
“We can do this.”
“We are a team.”
“Let’s learn together.”
“Your best is enough.”
“Let’s get after it.”
Encouragement creates ownership.
Ownership creates excellence.
The truth is that most people are carrying around a child that hasn’t been invited out in years.
The child who likes to laugh.
The child who likes to create.
The child who likes to wonder.
The child who likes adventure.
The child who likes to dream.
The child who still believes all things are possible.
Maybe it is time to invite that child back into your life.
Not to replace the adult.
But to remind the adult how to live.
The adult in you should provide wisdom.
The kid in you should provide wonder.
The adult in you should provide direction.
The kid in you should provide enthusiasm.
The adult in you should provide responsibility.
The kid in you should provide joy.
Together…
They make a remarkable team.
The next time life feels heavy…
Take a breath.
Look around.
Smile.
Play a little.
Laugh a little.
Wonder a little.
And let the kid in you come out to help.
You may discover that the child you thought you outgrew…
Has been waiting all along to show you how to enjoy life again.
— Richie
Pearls for the Soul
when you feed the soul, you feed everything.
https://pearlsforthesoul.com
Been expecting you