Unlearn

To follow up on yesterday and the idea of looking at the world through a child's eyes.  I wanted to talk a bit about the stuff we are taught as we grow older.  There's a song from the musical "South Pacific" called "You've got to be carefully taught".  Here are the lyrics:

You've got to be taught
To hate and fear,
You've got to be taught
From year to year,
It's got to be drummed
In your dear little ear
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a diff'rent shade,
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught before it's too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate,
You've got to be carefully taught!

This song has always rung true to me because as I said yesterday a child looks at the world as a wonder.  Everything about it is joyful, the discovery of new things is awesome.

So the challenge as we get older & as we try to return to that the childlike vision of the world is to "unlearn" all the things we have been taught.  We must work hard to let go of the negative vision we've been told of the world, as most of it isn't true.  We are all connected and if we all try to let go of the lies, we've taught throughout our lives and return to the purity of a child we will be in a better world.

The final part of trying to return to being a child is to find time to play.  Give yourself time as often as you can to rediscover the joy of playing.  Whether it's a sport you like, a game you've always loved or doing something creative, make time to play & you'll fill your soul with joy.  Resist the urge to say you can't make time for play.  Remember small steps create new habits so if you make the time to play, you'll continue to do it. 

Let go of what you've been taught, believe that every moment is joyful.

Till tomorrow,

Bill

Quote of the day "Open your mind and unlearn the lies you've been taught in your life. Find joy in every moment, be a child."

Here's Mandy Patinkin singing "You've got to be carefully taught"Quote of the day "Find the beauty in everything in your life & your life will be more beautiful"