Seven things I learned from my Seven-year-Old
Having a child changes the way you look at life and what’s important, I had heard about it but never realized it until my daughter was born. She is smart, curious and a funny girl who never ceases to amaze me by the little things she does in her day.
I have learned a lot about myself and what I am capable of in the past few years, here is a summary of the top few lessons:
1. Be Kind
She told me once to be kind in the middle of an awful day and I was struggling to even think straight. I had to pause, re-think and evaluate what I was doing wrong. Sometimes the smallest acts like smiling, talking to people around us nicely and doing simple acts of kindness can make somebody’s day.
Have compassion for yourself too, give yourself permission to fail!
2. Be Curious
No question is a silly question, that is our mantra at home. The why, what, who and when keeps her busy and in turn, I learn a lot.
Who invented air? Why do people turn bad? What time does the sun come out on Mars? These are some of the questions she asked recently.
Sometimes it takes me a moment to even grasp the question but every little question has a thought process and every one of those makes me wonder how beautiful and amazing is a human brain.
3. It’s okay to show your emotions
If you have met young kids you would know that in one moment they are the happiest people and in the next crying out loud. I have realized that humans are born with the purest form of emotions.
We grow old and master the art of hiding our emotions.
4. Organization helps
Just before she starts drawing or coloring, she organizes her workstation. I know not every kid does that but it makes sense to a lot of people and it is proven to be more efficient. I organize and prioritize my week/day by top items I need to tackle and go from there.
5. Be Yourself
“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”― Dr. Seuss, Happy Birthday to You!
She would wear PJs to an event and dress up for a run to a park. Being our authentic self removes the hassle of wearing those masks for the world.
6. Consistency is Key
She knows what she wants and nothing in the world can stop her. She is consistent in her asks and if I say no she would go and re-phrase with her dad for the same thing. Not every time she gets her way but being persistent is an art and having the determination to achieve our goals is a key to success.
7. Every day is a new day
In the early years of kids growth, you will see that they start every day fresh and most of the time not bothering about tomorrow or yesterday and sometimes even a few hours or minutes.
I have learned setting up a fresh and open mindset for the day helps.
Nothing good comes out of overthinking about the past and what you today can change your tomorrow!
About the Author: Muazma Zahid
Muazma is passionate about Data, AI and Cloud Computing. She is an advocate of diversity and inclusion at the workplace and enjoys helping and empowering others via several platforms.
She is a mother of three girls and believes in building a world of equal opportunity for all. She is also a volunteer by heart in several organizations like AnitaB.org, Women @ Microsoft, Women Who Code and Lead for Pakistani Women in Computing.
Twitter: @MuazmaZahid
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/muazmazahid/
