Playtime with my three-year-old nephew is always a treat. With my kids being older, the opportunity to play with my nephew reminds me of simpler times my kids and I enjoyed together during their childhood. As I watched him play recently, I got to view playtime with him in a new way. For hours, he was completely enthralled as he played with his train set, and I noticed how nothing else around him really mattered at the time. Nothing could draw him away from the experience he was having then and there.
My nephew’s focus reminded me of the undivided attention I saw in my children when they first started to eat finger foods. I clearly remember their chubby, little fingers carefully picking up a single Cheerio at a time from their plate. After selecting it, they would look at it intently, observing every small detail, which I would have overlooked. They were never concerned with the other dozens of Cheerios on their tray. The one they were holding seemed to be the only piece of food in the world. When it finally went in their mouth, they savored every last morsel. My nephew and children were simply exercising their natural state of mindfulness.
Being mindful is just what comes naturally to children. They do not ruminate about what has already happened or stress out about what they will do tomorrow. Children naturally savor each moment and allow themselves to be fully present. Each experience is new, fresh and exciting to them.
It made me realize that becoming mindful is not something we need to learn, it is more that we need to “unlearn” all of the unnecessary stress and expectations we add to our own lives. It almost seems like the older we get, the more detached we become from the present moment by constantly worrying about what has already happened or what is to come in the future. Little by little, this “new” way of viewing life becomes a habit and slowly blurs our ability to be present.
Recognizing how mindful children really are also helped me to see that this is why children so easily forgive. They are able to let go of what has already happened and more easily focus on today.
With this in mind, I’ve decided to try to see life more like a child, more like my nephew, or the way my kids did when they were little. Just think of how much more we could enjoy our experiences if we actually stopped worrying about the past or the future and enjoyed the moment instead.
| As we begin this new year, take some time to observe the children in your life and notice their natural ability to be mindful. Watch how they can dance without a care to any song, how their eyes twinkle just watching a sparkler be lit, and how gift wrapping or a box can keep them entertained for hours. |
For this new year, I am committing to do my best to look at life with the eyes of a child. I am setting the intention to be inspired by each moment, to let go of the past, and to allow endless possibilities to unfold for the future without expectations. I am willing to give myself and my loved ones the gift of being present and savoring each precious instant of life. Are you willing to do the same?
