I have a 4 year old daughter. She is a constant reminder of things that I have lost and forgotten. This week she reminded me of the nature of unbridled enthusiasm and sharing of delight.
She has a pool toy that is an inflatable ring with a monkey head on it. Picture an inner tube with an appendage attached that looks like a monkey head. At the community swimming pool she went around telling everyone she could make eye contact with. “This is my monkey, it helps me swim!” Swelling with pride and joy at the wonder of an inflatable monkey pool toy.
I’ve lost that. I assume that people aren’t interested or can’t be bothered. It’s a process that started somewhere in childhood and continued into adulthood. You find something you are simply delighted about and when you share it with someone else, they don’t care… It squelches your enthusiasm, and you tend to stop sharing.
What is interesting upon processing the event with my daughter though, is to realize what I’ve lost.
I haven’t lost my delight. I find things every day that are delightful and engaging.
I haven’t lost my wonder. When I pause and reflect on the very fact that I am here it infuses me with tremendous wonder.
I have lost my unbridled sharing and my uncaring attitude.
I know it’s unusual to hear someone ask you to stop caring. But it’s an invaluable tool to expressing our individuality. If we only care about what other people reflect an interest in, we actually squelch our own personality. We are unique and different and there will be things that we care about that nobody else does.
And while it may seem difficult at times, sharing it s a natural side effect of enthusiasm. We don’t need to share because we’re trying to push an idea on someone or because we want to sell them something. We share because we have to, because this thing (whatever your thing may be), is freak’in AWESOME!
So today I encourage you to find your inflatable monkey of delight and share with unbridled and unsquelchable enthusiasm.
This Monkey is Freakin awesome! Did you see me?! I can swim with it!!!
Namaste,
Kevin
