a couple days ago, adam told me that he wanted me to be happy - with whatever i do, he just wants me to be happy. he tells me this all of the time, but for some reason, this time it resonated with me because i had read an article earlier that day entitled "being the grown-up the kid in you always wanted". the author said that "some psychologists suggest that the ages from 8-10 are a time when we are our most authentic selves". imagine that. the years when i wanted to be a vet and own a house full of animals; the years when i wanted to morph into kelly kapowski; the years when i loved barbies SO much, that i wished every single day for the clothes to grow ten times bigger. and as i watched the trick or treat-ers this weekend, i realized that the author was right. children that age seem the most innocent, confortable and happy. she then wrote a list of things we could do to encompass that eight year old mentality into our everyday lives:
1] stop smoking. i never even started. done.
2] follow your own fashion rules. i've been doin' that since i was little - except for the days when the popular group thought doc martins and colored shoelaces were cool. i wish i could take that back. as i get older, though, i am realizing that quality > quantity. i am learning that well-made key pieces can last a lifetime. so my goal is to stop buying five shirts just because they're on sale. if i don't see myself wearing them in five years, then i shouldn't get them.
3] go outside and play. being close to the train has been a blessing for me, because i just walk everyone. but still, this is something i need to work on - especially once the winter months get here [ugh].
4] do your homework first. well, no homework for me anymore. sadface. but this can apply to my everyday life, too. for example, i tend to tidy up the house every day, just so it doesn't get majorly cluttered. and i normally try to keep myself updated on the news - whether it be about the country or about my friends. but alas, sometimes the college procrastination still gets the best of me.
5] play 'make believe'. this one is my favorite because i used to love to make up plays and songs - i even had an imaginary friend named pony. when you get older, though, it gets really hard to use your imagination, especially when your world kind of becomes a routine. sometimes adam and i will play board games or watch cartoons - but i still yearn to do more.
6] live by your kid conscience. "if you live your life by the rules of your younger self, chances are pretty good you'll be doing the right thing, acting with dignity, honor, and politesse". i tend to feel that i am a good person and i do the right things - but i also feel that this is something we all have to work on.
7] do what you love. i love photography. i would love to take a photography class someday. & i love books. i actually just joined a book club in evanston - which im pretty excited about. i also love going to concerts and traveling, but that isn't quite the cheapest thing to do. maybe i could make a goal to visit a new place one a week, whether it be a restaurant or store.
8] believe in magic. this is the one thing i need to work on. because of some of the things that have happened in my life, it has always been hard for me to believe in magic and faith. but the author says to believe in yourself, too: "summon that eight-year-old scrappy self-confidence and remember that you wanted to be a part of making the world just a little bit of a better place."
want to read the article yourself? :] go here!
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