Conquer like a Child

Hi! And Welcome back to the Art of Onward, where I use My Story to Inspire Yours. I'm really looking forward to today's post, so let's dive right on in! :)

In my study of this Human Experience we all are collectively participating in, I would love to invite you to join me in viewing the beauty of children. Yes, those big eyes, that trust, that vulnerability, that untarnished (and unfiltered) instinct. But today, let's look at the TENACITY of children. There is a big lesson here, I believe, for us adults.

A child, mostly living at the whim of the adults who care for him or her, is learning every second of every day. They're watching and learning. Good or Bad, they soak it all in like wee sponges. It must be exhausting.

And yet they LAUGH so much more than adults do! I recently heard children laugh over 100 times a day, and adults less than 20 on average! Think we can raise our own laughing quota on a daily basis? I think so. A child's life isn't perfect, isn't easy, isn't a fantasy, and yet they find those silly little moments and allow their laughter to float throughout our world, bringing beauty wherever it is heard.

Imagine a little girl now, in the kitchen. She's about 5, and her mom just baked her favorite cookies. They smell scrumptious, warm and gooey and are a symbol of all things wonderful to the little girl. But these bites of heaven are for later. Not Now. Ouch. Our little girl does not see the logic in this at all. She only smells happiness. Mom is upstairs, doing something else, who knows what adults do really, and she knows she has time. She knows exactly which cupboard those cookies are in. She tries to crawl up onto the counter. Too high. She slips and lands on the floor. It doesn't feel good.

She picks herself up, eyes the cupboard like the inviting adversary it is, and heads to the dining room, moves furniture, grunting and groaning, to finally get at a chair she can push in to the kitchen, just below that cupboard.

She hears a noise. Pauses. Nope, mom's not coming down.

Before you know it, our resourceful, tenacious little girl is in the kitchen, sitting on that chair she moved below the gates to heaven (cupboard) and is munching a cookie.

Now imagine you. There's a job posting you saw this afternoon on your coffee break. It has everything you wish for in a job description, and the listing even denotes a pay increase.

Do you apply for that job tonight? Oh, you got tired and decided to do it later, after you've indulged in a little Netflix? Then you fell asleep, because your job doesn't actually feed your purpose or your soul, so you're always tired, you stumble to bed and, just before you fall asleep, you promise yourself you'll do it tomorrow. Oh, never mind, you won't get it anyway. Why bother.

Insert the scenario of your choosing - lack of confidence, lack of focus, lack of willingness to do what it takes - they can all hold us from our cookies as we traverse our tightrope called life.

Our little girl could have said:

"I'm not big enough"

"It's not the right time" (disregard the parental direction for the purpose of this one)

"I'm not tall enough"

"I'm not strong enough"

"All the odds are stacked against me" (not that a 6 year old speaks that way)

"I'm too tired, I've been learning stuff all day"

Do you see? She didn't make a single excuse. She knew what she wanted and used her extremely limited resources to make it happen. She endured discouragement, personal injury, and had to physically strain beyond her capabilities. And she did it!! She conquered and received her reward!

We can too. If you and I know what we want, we can push past our perceived limitations, and we can make it happen. Let's take a touch of inspiration from our little girl - or any child you see working to get what they want because not getting it is not an option. And then watch the satisfaction on their faces when they find themselves conquer.

When is the last time we've felt that sense of gratification, of pride in ourselves?

This week, let's all pinpoint our cookies, and use our vast resources and knowledge to get to where we would so much love to be.

Oh, and let's all remember to add laughter to our day :) It raises our emotional wellbeing and allows us to see the world in a slightly better light every time.

Challenge accepted? Good! Me too! I'll be working just as hard as you, paving my path toward the cookies I've pinpointed.

We got this!

~Jewelle