I was just in Gig Harbor, WA and I got off a phone call to see my boys running through the sprinklers (in their undies) in their great-grandparents yard. They were yelling in unknown languages and diving over invisible barriers. This is the stuff of superheroes and ninjas.
I had two choices when I saw this.
1. Walk up onto the patio with the adults and smile and comment, “how cute!”
2. Kick off my shoes and join this epic waterworld battle
Number ‘2′ it was!
Not that I always make this choice. I continually fight against taking myself too seriously and acting like an adult instead of a child. This is a message of encouragement for me—and for you:
Embrace your inner child!
Kick off the shoes and go barefoot.
Get on the floor and play with kids, dogs, and toys.
Give hugs instead of handshakes.
Sing and dance with abandon.
Drink chocolate milk.
And not just because it’s the end of summer. Embrace your inner child as a way of life. Some will say it’s unprofessional, but they are boring and don’t have many friends 🙂
Be childlike. Jesus said it’s the way forward.
Bonus: You’ll experience more joy and less anxiety. It’s better this way.