READERS of this column who are of a “certain age” would best recall what an “unplugged” childhood felt like. Before there were smartphones, TikTok, Facebook, Minecraft, and YouTube, there was piko, patintero, running out to play, and bahay bahayan (among many others). Our version of a tablet was those packaging sheets that we would pop with joy. The days were carefree and imaginations were epic! Every day brought new experiences and new adventures.
Then suddenly we were adulting. We were paying bills, starting families, and saving for the future. Responsibilities kept piling and tough decisions needed to be made as we grew older. In what seemed like a heartbeat, the wonder of childhood perished with time. We stopped imagining. We became more structured, and understandably, less open to new experiences.
The good news is the childlike wonder never leaves us no matter how old we are. Here are three life lessons/tips we can learn from children.
Tip #1: Welcome the Curiosity and Excitement!
Children learn by being inquisitive. They like to tinker and explore. They ask questions and have theories about almost anything! They aren’t worried or burdened with what others might think about their ideas. Somewhere along the way, we’ve lost that curiosity and our excitement to learn something new.
While we obviously can’t be as carefree, we can reconnect with our childhood by giving in to curiosity. How? By entertaining questions and by following a train of thought with less regard for how others may think.
The best ideas often begin as a “stupid” thought. Who knows how many million-dollar (or peso) idea has been shelved only because someone thought it was foolish to begin with?
Entertain that train of thought!
Tip #2: Grow a Little Everyday
Growing is natural when we’re young. You can’t stop it. But as we get older, growth becomes a choice. Growth in this sense means learning even if it hurts. Life is about learning. Learning has no expiration date. Many meaningful life lessons can be had when we humble ourselves enough to accept that we don’t know everything. Learn a new skill. Enroll in that language course. Try this new career. Upskill. Silence the inner critic in your head. So what if you’re the oldest in class? So what if you aren’t good at it. You aren’t good at it YET, but you will be.
Tip #3: Get in Touch with Your Feelings
Children don’t conceal emotions. If they’re happy, you’d know it. When they’re sad, they’d cry and mope. But as we grow older, we find that we need to conceal how we feel in certain scenarios. Nothing wrong with that of course. Learning to manage our emotions is key to getting ahead in life. But here’s the thing… as adults we tend to conceal our emotions without acknowledging them. We suppress feelings of frustration, anger, and regret.
Acknowledge your feelings by recognizing them for what it is. Give yourself permission to feel what you feel before deciding how to process those feelings. Being kind to yourself in this way is an act of self-care.
Grow with us!
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NEARSOL is a US-based BPO and service company that offers clients custom-design solutions. It began operations in 2006 and has since gained a strong presence in the Latin American regions, the Caribbean, and the Asia Pacific, winning many awards for quality and service along the way. Most recent of which is its Great Place to Work-Certified™ Recognition.
The Great Place to Work-Certified™ Recognition is a global accreditation that tells stakeholders what employees think of the company culture. In brief, it says a lot about the happiness and productivity index in NEARSOL. The certification process shows that employees are satisfied with the working environment and that they trust the leaders.
Come and discover why our employees think we’re a great place to work!
Visit NEARSOL.US and apply through NIA, NEARSOL’s recruitment chatbot and personalized platform for the application process.
Visit our LinkedIn to learn more about our company and our global footprint./PN
