Every adult was once a child.

Unfortunately, childhood doesn’t last as long as adulthood. We remain adults for a long period of time; however, our childhood years are precious.

The good news is that we grow up. The bad news is that in the process of living our grown-up lives, we’ve lost that childhood joy that we once knew.

This video shows us how much we have lost along the way. It speaks directly to our souls, pinching us awake and inspiring us to reconnect with that sense of joy.

Parents filmed their sweet baby girl experiencing rain for the very first time. Besides the cuteness of the little girl, I was startled by the reaction of her parents. I loved the fact that they basically allowed her to enjoy that moment without any fears of their baby falling sick. They thoroughly believed in her beautiful energy and gave her the freedom to experience the pure joy of water droplets on her face.

Watching the video gave me the chance to behold my own self and notice what is amiss. Looking at that baby girl beautifully enjoying her first experience under the rain left me thinking about what is missing in almost all of our lives.

She indirectly shows us what we lack. She teaches us plenty of lessons that would be of benefit to each and every adult.

Below are six lessons that I personally perceived as beneficial from the innocence of this toddler:

1. Enjoy the present moment.

This little girl is living exactly in the sweetness of her present moment. She doesn’t care if her hair got wet. All that she is doing is enjoying her moment.

Unlike her, adults tend to cycle through pleasant moments—but rarely do we enjoy them. Instead of sinking into the moment itself, we dwell in our own dramas and sadness. Years go by as we search for happiness almost everywhere, completely dismissing the fact that it’s right here, right now, in our present.

2. Enjoy the little things.

Rain is barren, right? Well, not for that baby girl. Those drops of rain brought her abundant joy and excitement. She demonstrates to us how small things matter and how much they can bring happiness to our being.

While we look for happiness in the big things, we can find it in the silliest of them. Sunlight, rain, wind—they all look silly until we experience them. Once we fully experience them, however, I am sure that we will enjoy them as they are a cure for what ails us.

3. Be happy.

Watching that baby girl made me smile. The reason is because she is so joyful that she is capable of transmitting that happiness to others (even behind a screen). She doesn’t need a reason to be happy. It’s raining. She’s happy. It’s that simple.

But it’s not that simple to us adults. Our happiness has become increasingly conditional and dependent on other people and events. Why can’t we just be happy and enjoy whatever is here, right now?

4. Be fearless.

There is a striking shot in that video that shows the difference between adulthood and childhood. One of her family members held her and brought her back inside. We can hear them saying something about getting an umbrella.

This is how most of us would behave in that situation. We fear rain because we fear getting sick. Look at the adult, how she ran and put her inside. But look at the baby girl. Her thoughts aren’t coming from a place of fear. She is following what she feels like doing without caring much about the consequences. This is how children behave and I think it would be precious if every once in a while, we do what we feel like doing without having second thoughts.

5. Be free-spirited.

The courage to test and to experience is priceless. That girl has no boundaries. She doesn’t know yet what is right or wrong. She is a free spirit standing under the rain and thoroughly enjoying her moment.

How often do we do this? How often are we free spirited and willing to do what goes beyond right or wrong?

6. Have curiosity.

The beauty of life is curiosity. The curiosity to explore what is around us without any fear or doubt. That baby girl is curious. She is eager to know what is rain and how it feels on her skin. She is not scared or doubtful. She’s just curious.

We can become like her if we want to. At any time we can be curious and experience what we haven’t explored yet. All experience is good experience.

It’s beautiful to grow up, but it’s ugly to be grown-ups. No matter what age we are, we shouldn’t lose the innocence, happiness, and curiosity that we had when we were children.

Most likely we won’t remember how we were, but we can watch how babies behave and learn from them.

To be a grown up with the spirit of a child is a blessing—let’s try it out.

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Relephant:

A Tribute to Your First Decade of Life, my Son.

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Author: Elyane Youssef

Editor: Caitlin Oriel

Image: YouTube still