Don’t lose childhood when becoming mature

May 26, 2017 — by Sanjana Melkote

Keeping some aspects of a child's mind can can greatly benefit one's creativity and personal relationships.

When I stay up late at night, not because of homework but because of some scary monsters from a movie that have “followed” me to my room, I am often told that I should outgrow my silly childish fears. But when I write a story, one that follows an impressive plot that weaves in and out of reality, I am commended for my vivid imagination.

In truth, both my fears and my creativity stem from that same spirit inside me — the part of me that doesn’t hold restraints to what is possible or impossible.

Immaturity and childlike wonder may seem like something that needs to be shed as we age, but holding onto aspects of a child’s mind can benefit us greatly as we face the world.

Children are born believing in magic until they are taught the rules of reality. But even after we know what is and isn’t feasible, it is important to approach life with the attitude that anything is possible because that outlook is what feeds our creativity.

The power to create is essential to keep ourselves moving forward because if we lose the ability to think outside of what is already “real,” we will be unable to push boundaries and test new ideas.

It is the child inside of us that asks us what new concepts we can make into reality and push us to become innovative when we are faced with any job.  

And while children may often be simplistic and naїve thinkers, their constant optimism is something adults often forget in the face of adversity.

The most complicated problems are brought down to simple terms in a child’s mind. Children are unaffected by prejudice and tackle conflicts with basic logic, which makes the greyest of areas black and white.

Especially when dealing with personal relationships, we might fight with people we love because we’re so stuck in our own reasoning, but it would greatly benefit anyone to step back from this mentality and forgive like a child would.

Children forgive and forget because every passing moment is a fresh start, and they focus on the future and what will happen, rather than hold a grudge and sulk over what happened.

It is important to have unwavering trust in the fact that people can and will change for the better, and giving people another chance after they make mistakes saves  everyone from unnecessary negativity.

So many relationships could be saved if society could look to the future and use the energy spent being intolerant to being accepting.

Children are creative and have a clear view of their decisions — growing up is no reason to give up that creativity and childlike wonder.

 
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