When I hear this phrase, I immediately ask myself if an adult can ever return to the innocence of a child?
Certainly as adults we have been exposed to so much. There is little that really surprises us. Our phones keep us current with continuous news from the world, our city, and our friends. Our movies, TV screens, and videos show us so many different situations there is little that we are shielded from. We are less innocent, with the help of technology, than we ever were.
Where I believe we can excel at reproducing the innocence of a child is with our attention. When we can listen openly without judging. Where we don’t guess at the next sentence someone might say but rather take in each word as being equal. By constantly waiting to be surprised. By not jumping to conclusions that bore us.
Within the innocence of a child is the constant stream of absorbing new things. Of not at first knowing their value. Of wondering why someone is sharing what they are. Where there are no opinions formed of the person telling us something.
You see a child’s innocence has very little bias. No filters. And never jumps ahead. Trying to become this same child means we have to slow our lives down and be more focused and present each minute of the day.
Almost impossible. But not really if we practice trying.