How To Fall In Love With Life Again
Don’t ever lose your sense of wonder
- You’re 30 now, but winter’s chill still excites you more than it ever does.
- You’re a father of two, but you still love rubbing your feet on that textured mattress, just like when you were 9.
- You’re already in your 40s but playing video games is still your favorite stress reliever.
- You’ve reached your 60s, and your childhood mannerism of sniffing scented greeting cards is still alive.
- You’re in your 70s, barely moving out of bed, but you still play Frank Sinatra’s track on repeat.
No one is old enough to live a life. This is everybody’s greatest reward.
I doubt we are all here only to live a single life at a certain time. If you are a parent now, people expect you to act like one because you already are. But life doesn’t have to be this strict. Now and then, you are still allowed to taste life as a child again, not as an adult faced with massive responsibilities.
Most people think, “I’m a grown-up now. I’m too old for that.”
Wrong.
Your freedom to occasionally rebirth the child in you is your gift.
One reason why some people feel unalive is because, in their minds, they need to nail themselves on the place they are currently in. They think they are too old to get excited on a cozy Friday night, have ice cream at weekends, or get shortlisted for a marathon. Once they pass the threshold of being a teenager, or a young adult, their blissful days are gone. And they have no choice but to face the truth: enjoyment is no longer available for them.
The thing is, enjoyment is not only for children. We can assume it is a part of everyone’s childhood. Every kid doesn’t force themselves to be happy; to play around and relish their younger years. It’s their nature. As they grow old, when their innocence has faded, they won’t see life as delightful as before again. But it doesn’t mean their happy days have come to an end. They can still rejoice in their childhood memories and occasionally visit the remnants of it.
That’s why our inner child is never dead.
I remember this beautiful quote from Alain de Botton:
Most of our childhood is stored not in photos, but in certain biscuits, lights of day, smells, and textures of carpet.
Most of our nostalgic moments are too subtle to be captured in photographs. But for some magical reasons, we don’t need a camera to make minutes memorable. Our minds have a peculiar way of highlighting events. It uses the scent of early mornings to remind you of your best holiday seasons. It uses the texture of fabrics to remind you of your fancy to lie on the floor. It uses your tastebuds to refresh your sweet formative years. It stores memories in our nostalgic bubbles through our senses.
A child’s senses are powerful enough to create room for every moment that as he grows old, it will only take a closing of eyes to relive a memory.
I don’t know what you’re going through now, but if you’re losing faith in life, don’t be ashamed to be a kid again.
Your inner child is always ready to restore you.
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