A Childlike View Of Life

“Mindful and creative, a child who has neither a past, nor examples to follow, nor value judgments, simple lives, speaks, and plays in freedom.”

-Arnaud Desjardins

 

There is a big difference between being childish and childlike.  In my mind being childish is displaying all the worst behavior of a child while being childlike is displaying all the best qualities of a child.  All behavior is learned.  No child automatically hates or discriminates.  As a child gets older they may learn negative behavior from parents, teachers, and other authority figures.  They may also make their own judgments based on what they see and experience.  Without negative influences, most children would maintain an innocence and sense of wonder that most adults loose early in their life.  I think life is like a circle.  As I get older I realize that I am closing the circle.  This is not a bad thing.  As I get older I feel a sense that I am returning to a more childlike view of life.  Older people usually appreciate the simple things more than younger people who often crave quantity of experience over quality of experience.  When one has a greater appreciation of the simple things in life, one’s sense of wonder usually expands as well.  I now seek depth of experience over breath of experience.  Age has its challenges but it also has its freedoms.  The more free you are, the more childlike you become and this is a sign of life lived well.