An Idea from a Four Year Old

Sometimes the simplest wisdom comes from the mouth's of children. Yesterday, my wife, Yi-saeng, was talking to our next door neighbor who had been feeling somewhat down after loosing her sister recently to cancer. Our neighbors treat our four year old daughter, Cosette, like one of their own grandchildren, and Cosette was playing near the two adults who were talking. They were discussing the loss of her sister and how she was feeling down a bit. Neither of them realized Cosette was listening.

Cosette reached up and tugged on Yi-saeng's clothes saying, "I have an idea." She wanted to whisper her idea into Yi-saeng's ear, but when she did so, Yi-saeng could not understand her. So she asked Cosette to tell her idea to both of them.

So Cosette then told both of them her idea, "When I miss Korea at night, I think about other things."

Such wisdom from a cute little girl. At four years old, she knows a powerful secret. We must focus on positive things to make our lives better. If we focus on the negative, on the things that make us sad, on the bad in the world, our energy and emotions become drained. When we feel like this it is hard to get off the couch. We sit and drone while watching tv or some other mindless activity while as we focus on the sad and bad of the world.

If we focus on "other things," preferably good things that motivate us toward success, we will do so much better. Focusing on the positive energizes us toward movement. Rather than sit or lay, we get up and move. We do things. We produce. We make a difference and feel better doing it.

So remember this lesson, when you miss someone or something, when you feel bad over situations or circumstances, think about other things to change your state and outlook. You'll feel better. You'll do better. You'll be better.