Pretty much all of the honest truth telling in the world is done by children. Oliver Wendell Holmes
If you have been around young people, especially those 10 and under, you know that profound things emerge from their brains and their mouths. If you let them. If you listen. Their minds have few if any filters. They speak what they think. Political correctness be damned. They know no such rules. Their thoughts are pure and real.
I always love talking to young people, because I try and remember what it would be like to be that free and open.
Here are two random and indeed, profound thoughts I have encountered from two 10 year olds I know:
My daughter Malia just graduated from college, with honors I might add. (fortunately for her, intelligence skips generations!) But when she was 10 she wrote this poem for her gymnastics coach Zak. While I was a bit jealous of Zak, I love this timeless expression of her youthful life that may resonate with you. Wisdom beyond her years. Not because she was bright but because she was free.
Road of Life
By Malia Kobara Dedicated
to Zak
Life
is like a road
It
just goes on and on
The
loose pebbles
They
are your mistakes
They
make the journey rough
The
hills …
The
hills are your pleasures
You
must work up to them
Before
taking the joyous ride down
And
the turns
Those
mysterious turns
They
are tomorrow and you
Yes,
you decide what happens that next day
And
after all these years on this road of life
I
hope you know…
Your
path can lead you anywhere
The second 10 year old is Caine of Caines Arcade fame. What I love about Caine is he is still a kid! Please watch this incredible video about the impact he has made as a rising 5th grader!
Coming back from his speaking engagement in Cannes France, he wrote these rules of life on a barf bag. Rules I suggest apply to all of us.
- Be nice to customers.
- Do a business that is fun.
- Do not give up. (Caine circled and underlined this one three times)
- Start with what you have.
- Use recycled stuff.
Inside of each us is a free 10 year old who can express his/her emotions and ideas without fearing judgment. How do we re-kindle that creative, energetic spirit, that sense of freedom?
We have to!
We have to help others unlock their possibilities.
That is why we network and mentor. To help others write their poetry, their ideas, and to help them pursue their dreams.
The key to unlocking this potential is by listening to our hearts and the hearts of others. When we speak and hear others speak passionately and freely we have to encourage it. Not apply our expectations or the expectations of others, but to find an outlet for that expression. We have to let others become who they are.
We see this pure expression in our kids. Maybe we all should learn from the wisdom of 10 year olds.
Thanks for reading. John