Life wasn’t always this complicated.
There was a time when a cardboard box became a spaceship.
A puddle became an adventure.
And a smile came without effort.
What happened?
It creeps up on you.
Slowly.
Quietly.
Almost unnoticed.
One day you wake up and realize that life feels heavier than it used to.
More complicated.
More demanding.
More serious.
You begin wondering what happened.
Did the world change?
Did people change?
Did you change?
Perhaps the answer is simpler than you think.
THE CHILD WAS REPLACED BY THE ADULT.
Every one of us started out as a child.
Curious.
Playful.
Fearless.
Imaginative.
We could spend hours chasing butterflies, building forts, exploring backyards, or pretending a stick was a sword.
We weren’t trying to optimize life.
We were simply living it.
Then something happened.
Responsibilities arrived.
Bills arrived.
Schedules arrived.
Deadlines arrived.
Expectations arrived.
The adult showed up for work.
And thank goodness for that.
Because life requires adults.
But somewhere along the way…
The child got pushed aside.
TOO MUCH WORK…
IS TOO MUCH WORK.
There is nothing wrong with responsibility.
Responsibility is necessary.
It keeps the lights on.
Pays the bills.
Raises the children.
Maintains commitments.
Builds businesses.
Keeps promises.
The problem begins when responsibility becomes our entire identity.
When everything becomes work.
Everything becomes serious.
Everything becomes a task.
Everything becomes another item on the list.
At that point life starts feeling heavy.
Not because life is heavy.
Because we forgot how to play.
HE AIN’T HEAVY…
BUT THE LOAD IS.
I cannot tell you how many people I see carrying invisible baggage.
Old disappointments.
Old resentments.
Old fears.
Old mistakes.
Old worries.
They carry them everywhere.
Like overstuffed suitcases they were never meant to haul.
Meanwhile the child within them is standing nearby asking:
“Can we put some of this down?”
Children do not carry the past the way adults do.
They recover quickly.
They forgive quickly.
They move on quickly.
There is wisdom in that.
WILL THE ADULT REPORT FOR DUTY PLEASE?
Absolutely.
When problems arise, call the adult.
Need a mortgage paid?
Call the adult.
Need surgery?
Call the adult.
Need taxes filed?
Definitely call the adult.
The adult serves a purpose.
The adult gets things done.
But here is where many people make a mistake.
The adult solves the problem…
Then refuses to leave the cockpit.
The adult takes permanent control.
And that’s when life becomes exhausting.
The adult was meant to supervise.
Not dominate.
LET THE KID DRIVE FOR A WHILE.
The kid knows things.
Important things.
The kid knows how to laugh.
How to wonder.
How to explore.
How to be fascinated.
How to enjoy an ice cream cone without analyzing its nutritional content.
How to watch a sunset without checking a phone.
How to get excited about simple things.
How to live in the moment.
As I wrote in Pearls for the Soul:
“The moment is the gift.”
Children understand this naturally.
Adults often need reminding.
HEY…
CAN YOU COME OUT AND PLAY TODAY?
I smile when I see adults enjoying life.
Eating ice cream.
Flying kites.
Playing miniature golf.
Building sand castles.
Laughing until tears form.
Dancing badly.
Singing loudly.
Being wonderfully ridiculous.
Not because they are immature.
Because they are alive.
Because they have allowed the kid to come out and play.
And that changes everything.
WHAT THEN?
Let the adult handle what requires handling.
Then invite the child back into the room.
Take the walk.
Watch the clouds.
Pet the dog.
Laugh at the joke.
Tell the story.
Play the game.
Take the trip.
Smile first.
Life is not supposed to be all burden.
It is not supposed to be all duty.
It is not supposed to be all seriousness.
A little fun.
A little wonder.
A little laughter.
A little joy.
There is never enough of these.
RIGHT NOW…
I want you to do something.
Smile.
Not a polite smile.
Not a social smile.
A real smile.
A huge grin.
Go ahead.
Do it.
Don’t worry about what anyone thinks.
There…
Did you feel that?
The kid in you has just been sighted.
And life suddenly became a little less complicated.
— Richie
Pearls for the Soul
when you feed the soul, you feed everything.
https://pearlsforthesoul.com
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