4 Reasons to Act More Like a 5 Year Old

(Photo by Catchthedream)

Who doesn’t love kids?

They are carefree, feel like they can take on the world, always have a smile on their face, and generally just seem to be enjoying everything that life hands them (with the occasional temper tantrum)

Why are kids so damned infatuating?

They seem to be living the dream lifestyle, and we all seem to be chasing the carrot dangled at the stick

I recently finished watching the movie, “Big” with Tom Hanks and had an epiphany

Kids DO have it better than we do

But its not the whining and neediness that I admire, it’s the carefree and happy lifestyle that they all seem to live

What I realized is that if everyone in the world acted a bit more like a kid, the world would be a much better place

Here are four reasons to unbox your Barbies or Gijoes, so to speak, and let loose like your 5 year old a bit more

1. Have Fun, All the Time

Kids are in a constantly state of play, anything and everything they interact with becomes a wondrous playground for which they can mold and bend into a fun little adventure

Even when they are presented with the worst possible circumstances (doctor office, a boring TV show, really crappy toys) they might complain at first, but ultimately they find a way to make it fun for themselves

The general idea is that they can make anything fun in their lives

If we aren’t having fun, we may have the power to change the circumstances a bit easier but if we aren’t happy with the results we will sulk and moan until our environment changes

Kids just don’t do that, they roll with the punches and find some way to have a great fucking time

Don’t you wish you could be sitting in traffic on the way to work and instead of being angry at the road you find a way to enjoy yourself?

The simple way to do this is so ask yourself, “How can I make this fun?” as much as possible

Every time you run into a situation that is lackluster or even downright shitty, find a way to change the perspective and have a bit of fun

By asking this question you will activate the right side of your brain and seek out creative and fun ways to find fun in drudgery, the magic will be happening as much as you want it to

The next time you find yourself sulking like a two year old, think about how you can make that boring meeting you are in fun and watch a smile run across your face as you imagine your boss with a super long western moustache

2. Be Constantly Happy

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a child? (and not after they just spilled orange juice all over your Persian rug)

A smile of course

As we have already covered, kids are always in a constant state of play, everything they run into can be a chance to have some fun

What’s even more amazing than this nonstop party in these kid’s minds is their constant state of joy

Nearly 90% of the time you’re spent being a kid, you were always smiling and feeling good

Of course sometimes another toddler would steal your naked Barbie or start using the space Legos with your Cowboy ones, but even if you cried or got upset…..it just wouldn’t last

Soon enough a smile would run across your face faster than a pubescent boy at the playboy mansion

This concept of always feeling good is a great tool for us in adulthood (See 5 Reasons Why Smiling Can Change Your Life)

While many people think running around with a smile on your face and a gleam of happy thoughts nearly 24/7 is unrealistic and downright stupid, they are right

If you believe that feeling good and being happy all the time like a 5 year old is immature and stupid then chances are you are going to act more and more like a boring, unattractive, uninspiring, notworkmytimetotalk to individual

The most successful and charismatic people in our world today have this quality

They are not super serious, very calm, and boring…..they are energetic, fun and happy

And if you adopt this 5 year old mindset, you too can embody some of the keys to success necessary to make you the next Michael Jordan, Justin Timberlake, or Ryan Seacrest 😉

3. Be Fearless

One of the most admirable traits I see in children is the ability to run into a situation blindly and without fear

They see a teeter-totter or a new wing set or some kid playing soccer and just run right in

They don’t worry about the potential for failure, or what might happen if they fall off that super tall swing set, they just go for it

I don’t even need to get into the idiosyncrasies of why this is a powerful mindset for an adult

A)     You don’t worry about going up to talk to a guy/girl you are attracted to

B)      You don’t make excuses for doing the things you want to do

C)      You aren’t afraid to follow your career goals

D)      You don’t lie to yourself

This list goes on and on

You know that if you had no fear in life that you could ultimately do anything you want, I don’t need to tell you that

What you need to know is that the seven year old who is playing on the monkey bars that are 15 feet of the ground has more balls than most people I meet in any given day

The key is to kick your fear in the ass and realize that you are capable of being just as fearless as the kid running around on his skateboard with no pads

Get back in touch with your inner child and realize that all your fears can be conquered with steps of action in your life

4. Get  Into Adventures

Cops and Robbers

House

These two games are the staples for many children growing up, and they can serve as the foundation for adulthood adventures

When a child taps into their imagination and creates an adventure for themselves, they are making their own fun and setting the rules for having life adventures

When they dawn an imaginary apron or grab a wooden sword for dragon slaying they are simply creating the necessary environment to get into a daily adventure, an adventure that is going to be 100x more entertaining , fun, and exciting than any blockbuster movie, TV sitcom, or video game

This ability to create your own adventure does not die once you start noticing the big arms of young boys or the seemingly endless bust line of young women; it just remains dormant and ready to be tapped into at any given moment

Adventures can occur at any given moment in your life, some can cost money and others can be free, the key is that you make them happen for you on a daily basis, not just when you use your two weeks off per year to go to some beach and get a short lived tan

You can make a trip to the grocery store an adventure, and get creative beyond any means you thought possible

That fruit and yogurt aisle no longer is a cascade of glass windows filled with dairy products, it’s an opportunity to learn something from the nutrition facts and recommend the most ridiculous flavors you can find to the attractive guy or girl that is riding in the aisle with you

And if you are feeling like dipping into your wallet a bit more, you could pack up a backpack and go to some exotic location that you have never been to before, but have always wanted to traverse

Backpack through Europe, take your family dolphin swimming in the Caribbean, or go hang gliding off the Swiss alps (Its cheaper than you might think)

By making every day some sort of adventure, you will open yourself up to endless possibilities for health, love, joy, and generally enjoy your life that much more than the next person on the street

You will be getting as much out of your days as the 5 year old with the cape and Nerf guns, but you don’t have to dawn the costume unless you want to

Go out and make your day like an adventure, and watch your life grow

Gabriel