9 Important Life Lessons My 1-year Old Daughter Is Teaching Me

10th January 2019 — Everything changed for us. My daughter was born. We named her “Ella”. Meaning — a beautiful fairy woman.

Ella came like an angel in our life, the little miracle that makes our life complete. ??

I have been observing her a lot since then and now because of the lockdown, I get to observe her so much more. Thank You, Corona.

While holding on tightly to the tiny moments and cherishing the little snuggles, I never knew there is so much you can learn from a 1-year-old.

A month back, I had an epiphany. ?

My daughter cannot speak sentences, cannot write essays, can’t start a company, doesn’t understand science, economics, or any subject in general.

Yet, I feel she is so much smarter than I am. Because she has accomplished life’s ultimate goal — to be happy ??

I, on the other hand, need lots of money, a fantastic career, a soulmate, quality friends, high fitness levels, guidance, binge-worthy shows, exotic travel destinations, mouth-watering food and this never-ending loop of wanting more in the pursuit of happiness.

Looking at her, it’s only fair to conclude that we definitely complicate life for better or worse as we grow.

As adults, I feel if we are so smart, then why haven’t we figured out how to be happy.

Here are some hard-hitting life lessons Ella is teaching us —

Lesson #1 — Be Curious About Everything

Children from a young age want to know how everything works.

How food (or rather anything) tastes, turn the lights on and off, go play out in the sand, try jumping from the sofa, remove and put back toys in the box and so much more.

It is this curiosity that drives children to learn new things all around them.

Ella practising 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 with her fingers ??

Lesson #2 — Be Unstoppable

With Ella, there always came a point where —

1. She wasn’t able to crawl/walk/run
2. She wasn’t able to eat with her own hands
3. She wasn’t able to speak

and countless more such incidents.

But she kept trying and failing — a zillion times. And then finally succeeding.

In spite of me or my wife stopping her when we felt she is probably exhausted or she should be eating or sleeping, she did not give two fucks.

She is unceasing.

Once she understood what a bubble bath is, we couldn’t remove her from the tub! ??

Lesson #3 — First Principle’s Thinking

Take this example — No matter how many times we teach Ella how to eat she keeps using both hands, legs and sometimes even directly grabbing a morsel with her mouth.

I tried eating a few times like her, and it’s so much fun.

My point is — It’s innovative. There is no bias. It’s thinking from the first principles.

Most 1-year-olds are ambidextrous, meaning they use both their hands equally.

Ella tasting a flower with both her hands ??

Lesson #4 — Meet And Greet Like There’s No Tomorrow

Be so happy to meet people, that give them a euphoria, a smile and a hug when you recognize them.

Imagine meeting everyone like this ??

Ella showing how happy she is to meet my mom ??

Lesson #5 — Always Have High Energy

Ella is always so full of energy. Only after Ella was born, I realized how inactive adults are. Low energy leads to boredom, obesity and stress.

Science gives two reasons why babies are so active —

1. Their breath — It’s so full and complete. They utilize their entire lung capacity to breathe.
2. Their mind — They live in the present. Adults, on the other hand, are so worried about their past or future that it leads to a taxing effect on our energy levels.

Ella can’t wait to destroy that cake ??(Her 1st birthday)

Lesson #6 — Constant Upskilling

The typical 1-year-old only knows about 70 words. But by 18 months, they learn one new word every two waking hours!

When was the last time you learnt something every two hours? ??

And it’s not just this, she wants to learn anything and everything under the ??round the clock.

Remember the “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish!” quote of Steve Jobs? Live by it.

Ella learning to bang on a table with her hands! ??

Lesson #7 — Know How To Win People

Ella doesn’t have to read Dale Carnegie’s ‘How to win friends and influence people’. She already knows how to win over people.

I have seen her make anyone fall in love with her. Instantly.

Next time I want a better deal, I am planning to take her with me ??

Their most powerful weapon is — the smile.

Her smile is like an antidote to everyday stress! ??

We can also do the same, can’t we? Its simple — Just smile to win over people ??

Lesson #8 — Take Bold Risks

Be bold, take risks. Push yourself and get comfortable being uncomfortable.

We are constantly running around the house with Ella taking all sorts of risks she can.

She has so many audacious goals that relatively speaking it will put 99% of the adults to shame.

When was the last time you took a huge risk?

My Dad’s friend balancing Ella on 1 hand. ??(This one is not recommended)

Lesson #9 — Relax

Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax.

And Ella somehow knows this. 90% of the time she is hyperactive, but in the 10% time that’s left — you should see how she unwinds.

It’s mindblowing.

Here’s how she watches Television. ??

Ella getting comfy in her Elephant robe ?? after a tiring afternoon ??

I think kids have a very refreshing take on life in general.

While you are doing your best to make them learn, there is so much you can also learn from them.

One day when she reads this, I think she will be in complete awe of how much she has taught us unknowingly.

Thank You, Baby Doll. ??

What a beautiful journey kids take you on! ??

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Originally published here.