Important life lessons children teach us

“In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and waited in line to be served. 

A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. “How much is an ice cream sundae?” “Fifty cents,” replied the waitress. 

The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied a number of coins in it. “How much is a dish of plain ice cream?” he inquired. 

At this point, people standing in line behind the young boy and the waiters were getting a bit impatient. “Thirty-five cents,” she said brusquely without even looking at the young boy. 

The little boy again counted the coins. “I’ll have the plain ice cream,” he said. 

The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table, and walked away. 

The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier, and departed. When the waitress came back, she began wiping down the table and was shocked in utter disbelief at what she saw on the counter. 

There, placed neatly beside the empty ice cream dish, were two nickels and five pennies – her tip.”

We can learn valuable life lessons from kids.

Children have a fantastic ability to spread love; their heart is pure, innocent, and uncontaminated with greed, ego, judgment, and prejudice. They are masters of being transparent and sincere.

They teach us to see the world with a different lens. They teach us to believe in the goodness and virtues of life. They teach us how to open our hearts and practice compassion and kindness.  

They teach us to focus on what is important in life.

Children live in the moment and live every moment intensely without fear.  

They give with an open heart. Before their mind gets polluted with the “ME” syndrome and before they learn to identify things as being theirs, they give generously from the heart and share without the distress of feeling lack. Their love is unconditional and unreserved. 

They live life with an abundance mindset.

While as kids, we are so eager to grow up, most of us spend a good portion of our adulthood trying to become childlike again!

Being wealthy is NOT about how much money or material possessions you have; being rich is having a mindset of abundance. 

Our mindset determines which path we travel on, the path of abundance, or the path of scarcity.

The path of scarcity leads to a life not fully lived, a life of lack, limited opportunities, and resources. A life of unfulfilled relationships, in search of happiness, and a need to fill an inner void. This is the path to NOT HAVING.

Those that choose the path of abundance are the ones that live life to the fullest, radiating happiness, contentment, and gratitude. They are generous by nature, celebrate the success of others, and are driven by altruistic behaviors. 

Life is simply better when you come from abundance.

I love how Michael Beckwith sums up what having an abundance mindset is: 

“There is a lie that acts like a virus within the mind of humanity. And that lie is, ‘There’s not enough good to go around. There’s lack, and there’s limitation, and there’s just not enough.’

 The truth is that there’s more than enough good to go around. There are more than enough creative ideas. There is more than enough power. There is more than enough love. There’s more than enough joy. All of this begins to come through a mind that is aware of its own infinite nature.

 There is enough for everyone. If you believe it, if you can see it, if you act from it, it will show up for you. That’s the truth.”

Wishing you a heart filled with love an abundance.

Talk to you soon