5. You Can Do Anything
In adult conversation, we hear it again and again: “I can’t draw.” “I don’t dance.” “I’m a terrible singer.” And sadly, kids can begin to mimic this self-conscious sentiment at a very early age. But very young children will happily and unhesitatingly throw themselves into a variety of activities with admirable gusto—unabashedly dancing when they hear music, finger-painting with total focus and enthusiasm, singing at the top of their lungs. Just look at what a nine-year-old boy named Caine Monroy did over the course of a summer with nothing more than space, art supplies, and his imagination: he built an amazing cardboard arcade in his father’s used car-parts store. When grown-ups say they “can’t” do something, what they’re really saying is that they’re afraid to try, lest they look foolish or come up short. Taking on a new challenge in an area outside of your comfort zone—a watercolor class, or a spot with the local choir—will not only liberate you from self-imposed feelings of limitation, but you may just discover a wealth of talents that you didn’t know you had.
