Why Not?

I was reminded recently of spending weekends with my daughter at soccer tournaments. The schedules were crazy, with LOTS of time in between games! At one particular tournament, as I sat during one of the many "down" times, I witnessed something that looked close to this:

Intertwined with all the soccer fields were several baseball diamonds. And, sure enough, there were a few kids on an empty diamond creating a dust storm!

My first thought was, "Ugh. Damn kids, causing trouble." If those were my kids, they would have been in BIG trouble.

But, then it hit me: WHY?

Yes, there was sand/dust everywhere - you could hardly see the kids, just a giant tornado of dust! But, they were having fun. They weren't bothering anyone. They were just being kids - enjoying life without a care in the world! (I want to quote my sister-in-law who says, "God made dirt. Dirt don't hurt.")

Why is my first thought/reaction always to "don't do that"??

It's because I've "grown up."

In Jon Acuff's book, Start: Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average and Do Work that Matters, this point hit home for me. Why don't we think more like a kid? Why does everything we do have to "fit in" with what we're "supposed" to do? Do you think THAT might be what's holding you back from being AWESOME? I do.

From Jon's Start Conference, "Somewhere between the schoolyard and adulthood, our dreams change. The boy who saw himself as an astronaut was told to come back down to earth. The girl who dreamed of becoming a movie star learned to act like everybody else somewhere along the way."

What would happen if you looked at a problem today through the eyes of a child? Think back to when you were 10, how would you have dealt with that friend who hurt your feelings this weekend? Would you be a little more creative when thinking about that new product launch? Do you think you could come up with another idea for your blog post this week?

Do it. Seriously.

If you can't remember how it felt, ask a kid what they would do!

It's a silly example, but it gets to the heart of it: Recently, my youngest son, Ian, wanted me to move my car so he could play basketball in the driveway. As I was putting on my shoes to head outside, I said, "Ian, it's raining". He stepped out into the rain and said, "So".

HA! Perfect opportunity! 

I moved my car and played basketball with Ian in the rain.

Here's a great story about the perspective of a kid:

Meet Hawkeye Huey, 5-year-old photographer with 175,000 Instagram followers!

What would you do differently today if you were a five-year-old?