My dad is one of the greatest teachers I’ve ever met. And yes, of course I’m biased, but I know the numerous former students who continue to get in touch with him years later would attest to this as well. The reason? My dad isn’t just knowledgeable about the subjects he teaches: he can relate to young people on their level. He’s often told me that he has a twfenty-year-old mind trapped inside a fifty-year-old body. And he approaches his work with this mindset.
As we grow older and more experienced in our professions, it is so easy to become jaded and unenthusiastic. We forget our earlier motivation and excitement. And of course, negative attitudes often produce lower-quality work. This is why it’s vital to maintain a sense of wonder, even a childlike wonder, in regards to work. I was watching a couple of kids play soccer the other day. Their whole world was that ball. One of the greatest gifts children have is the ability to completely immerse themselves in a task. They don’t think about the million things they have to do later. Granted, they don’t have a million things to do later, but this idea of total concentration, total immersion in a task, is one to aspire to.
While routine is good and work inevitably becomes easier over time, in order to stay fresh, seek out new ways of challenging yourself and your clients. Children are always looking for new ways to amuse themselves. Growing up, my sister and I would spend hours creating new games – we didn’t even use toys. Don’t underestimate the power of imagination – it’s easily forgotten about as an adult but still available for us to tap into.
My challenge for myself, and for you as well, should you wish to accept, is to do something silly everyday – something that my seven-year-old self would have loved. Go buy a bubblegum ice cream cone and sit on a swing. You just never know what kind of ideas this may inspire. And if nothing else, life should be fun. Don’t lose that joy.
Namaste 🙂
Freelancing to Freedom 
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