AWAKEN THE CHILD IN YOU- FEEL THE DIFFERENCE!

This is a story of a child. A little boy, about to get enrolled in a school, for the first time.

Let’s get introduced to Gupi. He is curious, inquisitive and assertive. He responds to every question, irrespective of whether the answer is right or wrong. He’s fearless to put his own perspective and add value.

The head mistress asks “Gupi, tell me the alphabets in English.”

“Which one - the lower or the upper case?” came his prompt query.

In his mind, probably he has a perception that the upper case might be easier compared to the lower case. This he learnt out of his brief experience, from the daily tuitions he takes from his mom, asking him to write the alphabets and he always insists to write the upper case, which is easier for him to write than the lower case. So, he applies the same logic while telling the letters as well !

As the head mistress continues to fire more questions, Gupi is prompt in his answers, with his trademark creativity, sometimes even before a question is complete.

After a series of questions, the head mistress pops up a visual and asks ‘Can you draw the missing part of the object?’The picture resembles the one on left. 

Gupi equals the challenge and scribbles on the sheet.

He adds the missing handle. Amazingly, he tops it up with additional creativity on the tea pot as well.

The head mistress seemingly looks curious and asks “Well, I can understand the handle. I can even understand that you indicated some tea in the pot. I also get the smoke coming out. But, what are these three dots on the nozzle? 

Gupi gets impatient with her comprehension. “Don’t you know mam! If these holes aren’t there, how will tea pour out on the cup?”

She smiled and hugged the little child.

Why am I sharing this story?

The head mistress never expected this answer from a mere four-year kid, and that he would extend the imagination to the kettle having hot tea and ready to be poured out, when the obvious thing missing was the handle. 

We, as adults are conditioned to respond with a mechanised, correct & precise answer, which meets the logical need of the question. Nothing less, nothing more. 

But a child thinks differently. A child is free to imagine any extent and add differentiated value unconditionally – which brings out new ideas and perspectives, often a disruptive one.

I think, children are the best source of creativity and thinking outside the box. They may not be perfect – the holes on the nozzle that Gupi drew was not perfectly aligned. Most likely Gupi has never carefully seen an actual tea pot. 

Children add disruptive and differentiated value. Perhaps their mind is pure - without fear and prejudice.

Today, at work or life, in a VUCA world, we are all challenged to have incremental innovation continually, to adapt to varying conditions, and respond with agility to the fast-changing dynamics. We often tend to solve problems with rationale and logic – more with the brain, than with the heart. On the contrary, the child in us has free imaginations with the freedom to think differently, with curiosity and imagination, and no inhibitions of impossibilities. 

Are we suppressing the child in us, in our routine mundane task-oriented life?

I think, at this age of digital disruption, thinking like Gupi, is a sought-after competence to survive, foster and grow in a blue ocean. 

Awaken the child in you and be a catalyst to the epic digital disruption that is happening around us !

“If we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children.” – Mahatma Gandhi