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Innocence, a forgotten superpower
Sometimes, I observe little ones playing or talking. I’m convinced that children are happier than adults are. This is indeed confirmed by Franck Martin in his book “The superpowers of innocence”. His book allows us to question the virtues of innocence as a “form of perpetual wonder and freedom”. It’s one of the recipes for happiness that we’ve forgotten as we got older 👵.
Becoming free of prejudice again
When this concept is mentioned, it is hard to believe that it can be the secret to happiness. Indeed, if I’m told that an adult is full of innocence, I’d feel like I’m being told that this person is naïve, even oblivious. In reality, innocence needs to be restored as it’s a way to be free of prejudice and regain a state of trust, spontaneity, and curiosity. That’s why innocence is a way of achieving happiness.
Living in the here and now
What makes us different from children is that they haven’t set their thinking machine in motion: “I’m not going to make it”, “I won’t like it”, “I don’t want to meet those people”, etc. Nor do they have internal struggles or fears like the fear of what others think or even the fear of being scared 😰.
It’s true that as a child, we marvel at everything. As an adult, we’re just too steeped in our experiences, beliefs, and opinions. Innocence allows us to be guided by pleasure and enthusiasm, discovering without prejudice 🥳. It’s living in the here and now, it’s a real task to let go.
The need to be validated by others
Once my neighbor, whom I know well, didn’t say hello. I immediately questioned myself, thinking that I must have done something wrong. I spent a good while making mindless assumptions, only to learn that she just hadn’t heard me and that she was lost in her thoughts 🤦♀️.
Franck Martin explains that this is the “reasoning disease”. We do this to protect ourselves from rejection, suffering, and the fear of abandonment. Except that making unfounded reasoning won’t help us feel happier. We spend too much time intellectualizing our environment and events, which means we lose our spontaneity.
How to rediscover your innocence?
It’s not easy to regain a form of lightheartedness and enthusiasm when the weight of the responsibilities of the adult world awaits us. But regaining your innocence doesn’t mean becoming immature or irresponsible. It’s possible to be an adult and still have great openness of mind and lightheartedness that’s good for the soul. To do this, you have to learn to let go of everything you’ve learned 📚.
➜ In order not to reproduce the negative pattern with your children, the Montessori pedagogy helps children to develop and grow while remaining kind.
Reconnecting with your inner child
There’s no question of having Peter Pan syndrome when reconnecting with our inner child. We must reinvest all the qualities of children: confidence, spontaneity, creativity, fun, etc. Living in the present moment and letting go of our fears allow us to achieve innocence. The latter will prevent us from comparing ourselves to others, adopting positive thinking and kindness.
🤩 It’s thanks to these qualities that we achieve happiness, by detaching ourselves from preconceived ideas.
Editor’s note: It’s time to implement new behaviorsDo you also feel that you need to rediscover a little innocence, lightheartedness, and spontaneity? Contact a coach in order to implement new behaviors and new reasoning that will allow you to flourish in your daily life. 🤗 Understanding yourself, accepting yourself, being happy… It’s here and now! #BornToBeMe |
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