“Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten. Then when you hit puberty they take the crayons away and replace them with dry, uninspiring books on algebra, history, etc. Being suddenly hit years later with the ‘creative bug’ is just a wee voice telling you, ‘I’d like my crayons back, please.” ― Hugh MacLeod
“The devil can quote Scripture for his purpose; and the text of Scripture which he now most commonly quotes is, “The Kingdom of heaven is within you.” That text has been the stay and support of more Pharisees and prigs and self-righteous spiritual bullies than all the dogmas in creation; it has served to identify self-satisfaction with the peace that passes all understanding. And the text to be quoted in answer to it is that which declares that no man can receive the kingdom except as a little child. What we are to have inside is a childlike spirit; but the childlike spirit is not entirely concerned about what is inside. It is the first mark of possessing it that one is interested in what is outside. The most childlike thing about a child is his curiosity and his appetite and his power of wonder at the world. We might almost say that the whole advantage of having the kingdom within is that we look for it somewhere else.”– G.K. Chesterton
be childlike
The child is a worthy example for grown-ups. To anyone who has observed children before, one will not dispute the idea that for an individual to live well, and successfully, he needs to be childlike. While being childlike is different from being childish, the child in his behaviour does some things that if the adult can copy will make life better. The child is always unassuming, ready to go through all experiences, and does not ascribe reasons or principles like adults for what happens to him. He accepts them as they come. In addition, he does not interpret what happens to him from temporary events or actions or principles like adults. Nor does he ascribe anything that happens to him as being the handiwork of one person or the other.When the child is involved in an activity, he is always totally involved in it. He concentrates fully and will finish one thing before moving to another.
Most children are trustworthy and will trust elders or those they come across until the trust is abused. This makes him not to keep a list of perceived wrongs, which he intends to avenge. As children, we all have faith and believe in the figures of authority in our lives. This is the reason why a child will argue vociferously with his parents about what the teacher-either his Uncle or Aunty has told him in school. He believes in the fact that his parents will always provide his needs and cannot understand when they say they do not have. To him they will always have. He is always living because he is always taking part in the things that come across his way. He is eager to experience in addition to telling the truth at all times unless those who are ‘bigger’ than him make him tell lies. Whenever he tells lies or tell false stories, he does not know how such stories hurt people since he is only describing the world which he sees, one which might look unreal to the adult but which is real to him.
The child lives for the day and has fewer worries. He believes in dreams, he is curious, and explores anywhere he finds himself. The fantasy and mystery of life are also appealing to him. The qualities above need to be maintained even when one becomes old. The rock solid faith, belief and understanding ways of children go a long way in developing a positive self-concept. This will in turn affect the way the individual looks at life and how he relates to other people. This also is a useful tool in our life journey.
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