Child Enthusiast to Adult Pessimist

June 27, 2019

The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which means never losing your enthusiasm.” -Aldous Huxley

When exactly do we transition from child enthusiast to adult pessimist?

I’m not going to lump everyone into this but I think it’s safe to say that most adults have likely been this way at one point in time. I think it comes with entering into adulthood and responsibility. Ya know, all of a sudden having a job and bills and accountability and with all of that comes exhaustion and a pessimistic attitude. And let’s face it, the fact that we are surrounded by negativity, bad news, war, crime, death, tragedy… CONSTANTLY…does not help.

I don’t think a day goes by that I don’t look at my children in awe of their innocence and their enthusiasm for life. Children have this ability to get excited about everything, find the fun in the boring moments. Their imaginations are magical, and their ability to remain positive is inspiring. We were all born that way – innocent, able to see the good in the world, happy. So when does that shift happen? When do we lose that?

“The eyes of a child, so innocent and pure A child’s heart is full of song Take their tiny hand, and lead them to the light As adults we see pain in this world And it sometimes don’t seem right But through the eyes of a child The world seems magical.” – Through the Eyes of a Child by Michael McDonald

Life changes us. Experiences change us. Trauma changes us.

How do we get back to living in that positive mindset? How do we find enthusiasm for living again?

At the beginning of this year, I started (still haven’t finished) The Mindset Reset with Mel Robbins. If you’ve never heard of her, look her up. And if you haven’t done Mindset Reset, I highly recommend it. It’s basically a form of cognitive behavioral therapy that you do from the comfort of your own home and at your own pace, diving deep into your own cognitive distortions and self-limiting beliefs. You will come face to face with your negative thoughts about yourself and about the world, and learn how to change them. Pretty basic stuff but yet most of us don’t practice this.

There is no magic solution. There is no magic formula. But starting with a little more gratitude will help out. Flip the script from “I have to do this,” to “I have the opportunity to do this because I woke up to live another day.” One small shift at a time, consistently, will lead to huge change. Creating a shift in mindset, attitude and beliefs takes work…every single day.

Adulting is tough. Shoot, just living sometimes can be really tough. But it’s also beautiful. With heartache comes growth, with new challenges comes strength, with endings comes new beginnings. It’s all about perspective. And allowing yourself to be vulnerable. It’s about challenging yourself, stepping out of comfort zones (more to come later on that one), and flipping the script on negativity and pessimism.

So here is your reminder to flip your script today. If you are reading this, then that means you woke up today. You are able to fill your lungs with air and breathe. Life is a gift and if we can start with that mindset every single day, a beautiful transformation can happen.

“Enthusiasm is a state of mind. It inspires action and is the most contagious of all emotions.” – Napoleon Hill