What Kids Can Teach Us That We Need To Be Taught

Where Would You Like To Start - Potty Training? Birth itself, creating new life, is probably the best place to begin. All new life requires a high degree of discomfort.

I was with my wife when my son, Ryco, was born. She would say that "discomfort" is the lamest word she ever heard for describing childbirth, producing new life. She'd say "agony" Then add, "Beyond well worth it."

Let's advance to potty training; uncomfortable for all parties, right? And how about those ABC's? It's uncomfortable singing the tricky part... MNLOP). Then there's 13 consecutive years (for most) on the academic assembly line: K-12. New teachers, homework, speaking in front of the class for the shy, gym classes for the uncoordinated, quizzes, tests, report cards, being grounded, not making the varsity team, detention... and the list of discomfort is endless.

But, "beyond well worth it."

Discomfort is an inevitable requirement of all growth, expansion, and progress. That's why 2nd grade desks don't fit sophomores in high school. We expect 16 year olds to grow, expand, and progress from little desks to big ones.

What Kids Can Teach Us That We Need To Be Taught:

Self-Induced Discomfort

Once we become adults and have fewer teachers, mandatory classes, and learning obligations... we naturally seek out comfort. And if you've studied happiness and success at all, you know their foundation is discomfort... constant and never ending growth and improvement. Learning is fun!

And this requires inviting discomfort into our lives and embracing it's creative powers on a habitual basis. Seeking it out.

Self-induced discomfort. Not to induce pain or sadness. But to inspire growth and happiness

Perhaps the most important lesson I've ever learned in life

Certainly one of the most important lesson I've ever leaned was later in life - watching kids. The BIGGEST smiles they have is when they are at the peak of their discomfort just about to have a major breakthrough.

Kids have that instinctive knowing that discomfort is healthy, normal, and enjoyable. They seek out discomfort because "growing" is an innate human evolutionary process.

Isn't this how babies learns to walk? They try to walk and immediately fall. They get up and fail again. And again. They bump their heads and bruise their bodies (and developing egos). But 99% of the time the look on their faces is of joy. enthusiasm. They smile and laugh at the slightest improvement. They trust the process. They embrace the process. And soon they walk.

And then seek out their next discomfort. And for the next 18, 20, 22 years or more, they will remain in a state of joyful, enthusiastic, and engaged discomfort.

And when formal academia concludes, and we begin to live on our own... who, in their right mind, would wake up in the morning for the purpose of seeking out discomfort immediately following breakfast - self-induced discomfort?

Hopefully you. Have a great week!