Birds do it, bees do it, and some humans do it. My two kids live in this amazing cycle because the world is brand new to them. Every experience, whether enjoyable or not, are learning experiences for them. They have no choice but to continue this learn, grow, repeat cycle.

Now, when it comes to adults, some of us tend to pre-maturely stop this cycle because we believe that we’ve learned enough, we are experts, or we are “good” where we are at. I find myself grunting at times when I have to take a new path from a place that was previously comfortable. This lack of growth through learning is one way that we actively fail to thrive. If our kids didn’t give new experiences (bike riding), new knowledge (subtraction), and change (new school) a chance, their maturation process would be stunted and we, as parents, would be extremely concerned. If we believe that continued challenge, change, and growth are essential parts to childhood development, why d we believe in the saying, “Can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”? New age appropriate tricks can always be learned.

Learn. Grow. Repeat. If kids can do it without wining all that much, we adults can certainly do it too.

Why do we make living enjoyable lives together so damn difficult? Oh yes, that damn lizard brain’s attachment to power paired with a paranoid fear that, “people are out to get me.”