A few days ago, I came across a quote about our dear old Mr. Walt Disney who believed that whether someone was as young as six years old or as mature as sixty, they still remained a child deep inside. Having pondered over this beautiful thought, I couldn’t resist the urge to go a little deep into it and regain the much-required clarity of life that I had been living without for quite some time now.
Do you remember yourself as a child? What were the things that you loved doing the most? For me, it was usually considering the walls of my bedroom as a blackboard to draw and write things on, indulging in the world of cartoons on Pogo and Disney channel all day, dancing endlessly to the songs of my favorite Bollywood movies, getting as sweaty and messy as I possibly could while playing outdoor games (where I was always made a denner since my ability to run fast was terrible, unfortunately) and, then rewarding myself with cola or orange flavored lic-lollies. Ah yes! Those were the good old days.
Today, when I reflect back on the kind of person I was earlier, I realise that we all have something in common. We’ve become utterly boring. We’re all in such a hurry to grow up and break away from our shackles of restrictions that while running towards the perfection of our goals, we’ve forgotten what real happiness feels like. We don’t realise that by taking too much of stress, over-analyzing the simplest of situations, or cribbing consistently about everything wrong in our lives, we’re only pushing the kid in us further away from our heart and soul.
We’ve become so serious in our lives that we’ve somewhere, lost ourselves in the process of becoming something more or better than what we are today. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against fulfilling your responsibilities or doing better work than they expected, but all I wish to say is: Just Do it with a little bit of fun! Take everything lightly, and remain relaxed in situations that push you to your limits of endurance. Instead of breaking rules or heading for a tragic meltdown, take a break when you need to, by simply indulging in funny little child-like joys.
According to Carl Jung, “What did you do as a child that made the hours pass like minutes? Herein lies your key to what you should be doing in your worldly pursuits.”
So here are a few ways to get in touch with that inner child of yours –
Visit a Playground. Let your clothes get all muddy and greasy. Swing as high as you can by touching the sky and go dizzy on the pleasure of merry-go-round.
Go for a picnic with your friends. Instead of just sitting, eating and taking selfies, get active. Games like Hide and Seek and Ice Water never get old. So, run, fall, get up and again run until you catch them. Allow yourself to sweat as much as you can. The messier you look in the end, the more satisfied and happier you’ll be.
Play board games for a while. What better way to pass hours in the blink of an eye? Take out Carom, Scrabble, Monopoly or Snake and Ladder and get started. If these are not available, try playing UNO and let yourself forget all your worries.
Watch a Disney movie or an animated one. There’s nothing more enjoyable than to grab some popcorn and laugh ceaselessly at the cute little visual expressions and animation of movies like The Lion King, Finding Nemo, Tangled, Frozen, Anastasia, Toy Story and many more.
Sleep like a baby. When was the last time you slept for hours, undisturbed without having nightmares of pending deadlines and assignments? Consider sleep as an essential daily necessity, and not a task.
Pamper yourself with yummy delights. Stop worrying about your calories. There’s plenty of time to go on a diet. Indulge in the sinful goodness of Double Cheese Margarita Pizza or hot chocolate fudge sundaes. You deserve it!
Stop Obsessing over everything and let it go. Remember how carefree you were as a kid? That wasn’t the result of a perfect life, but an uninhibited reaction that lets you vent out your feelings, once and for all, without lingering it forever. If you’re happy- jump and dance, if you find something funny- laugh out loud from the bottom of your heart and if you’re sad- cry in big sobs until the pain subsides.
Thus, deep inside each of us, there is a child, who is yearning to be free from all troubles, ecstatic for simply being alive and excited for all the adventures that life has to offer. In short, there’s a child who simply wants to “play” through life.
Embrace that inner child and let yourself play!
Image Credits: Lifehack
Shagun Marwah