Do you remember the simple days? You know, when you were a kid and the biggest challenge you faced was whether you could get in 10 more minutes of playing with your friends before your mom called you in for supper? THOSE were the days my friend. And somehow that supper always seemed like a feast! Unless there was spinach or broccoli, and then it was torture. But usually it was fantastic! So my question to you is why is it any different now?
Sure you’ve got a mortgage, maybe some kids of your own, and other payments to make. So you go to work or earn money somehow to pay that. But really, what makes our lives seem so different now? Why does everything seem so busy, so important? It could be that you’re not living life on your own terms. So what you’re doing is modeling your entire life after the 10 minutes surrounding when your mom would call you in for supper!
Maybe, just maybe, you ought to think about what made the other 23 hours and 50 minutes of life so great when you were a kid. I don’t mean to sound simplistic. The fact is that there are pressures on us as adults, parents, employees and contributing members of society. I’m not suggesting that you become reckless or irresponsible, quite the contrary. What I recommend is that you reach back into your memory and explore how it felt to be carefree as a kid. Then with that feeling in mind, look for times during the day that you can return to that feeling of “no worries”.
Some people might point out that this is just meditation. Well, that’s fine with me. And if I’m lucky, somebody’s going to call me in for supper too!
This is so true Phil,
When we can look at life through a child’s eye, enjoying every moment, the cares and worries slide away. There are so many things we have no control over that we end up getting all worked up over.
Living life on our own terms.
Val
Val Wilcox´s last blog ..Which Bridge in Life to Use…
Great post!
It’s amazing how much those extra 10min meant as a kid. I completely agree about finding the ‘carefree’ mindset of a child. When we can relax and ‘meditate’, we get a sense of clarity that pushes the chaos aside. Then we can focus and live a fuller and more productive life.
Reading this has brought back lots of fun memories. Thanks Phil!
Danielle
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Some of my favorite times as a kid were playing baseball in the proverbial sandlot. It really didn’t have any sand but but there were all the kids from the neighborhood, about 12 of us or so. We typically just had 4 people at bat and rotated everyone through all of the postions. We played from 8:00 in the morning till it got dark with breaks to eat.
Those were the days.
Chris Kilber´s last blog ..Leadership Elements – Training to Duplicate
I just love recalling that free spirit as a child
and when it magically surfaces today. The best part
is that that is more often than not daily. I also
love that you have shared this great reminder and
think that it in itself is something to share with
everyone!
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Phil, That was fun to read! For awhile as kids, we live in the moment…then one day we are itching to “grow up” so we can be independent, free, “adults”. Then, what do you know, there we are with kids, mortgages, bills, and other responsibilities. Suddenly all we want is to go back in time and be carefree like a kid again. It’s crazy. Funny thing is, it can be done…but it doesn’t happen overnight, and you are right that we all need to sit quiet regularly and just decompress….I have been working at this for a long time, and I am finally getting to the place where I am excited again….In fact we are going to Disney again soon and I think I am more excited than the kids are! We must never forget to enjoy our lives
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Phil,
This is a great post. Sometimes as adults we forget how to stop and play and enjoy life. I am always telling my kids, enjoy your youth, it is the most fun time of your life. Good thing I am just a big kid.
Scott
Hey Phil! I love this post, it is too often that we get wrapped up in the adult stuff that we forget to have fun and be carefree. We also get too concerned about making mistakes that we hold back. I remember being a kid and not holding back, and that is what I need to remember more often..
Thanks, Melissa
Melissa Mitchell´s last blog ..What are you Influenced By?
…when i was a little guy, in the big red, white, and blue sky, I couldn’t wait the break of day, ball and glove and bat in hand, off to play on grass and sand, everything was triple A-Okay. Thanks for reminding us Phil.
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What a picture! The kid’s wearing a soccer jersey…. Really- what a great meditation. When I am in “the zone” I feel that same way- no stress and able to do anything.
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Oh, those were the days. I tell my kids that we went out at 9am, my mom threw us sandwiches at lunch, we came in for dinner then out again til dark. And we whined when we had to come in.
It’s that unbridled joy we need to tap to move our passions forward. Thanks for the reminder.
Debbie Lattuga´s last blog ..Gratitude Walk
Not a bad idea to remember simpler joy-filled days. In these times that are so full of extra stresses and pressure our energies become mixed and we don’t function at such a high level. Remembering days when we were more carefree helps to calm the present down. Thanks for the reminder and for painting a wonderful picture for us.
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