Dynamic Choices » Family Wellness

What Is The Kindergarten Answer To Your Problem?

Are you like me who ponders, thinks, tries, researches and often falls pray to “struggling” to find answers to the pressing challenges of your life? What if you stepped outside of the issue and pondered what wisdom might be found in a playground sandbox attitude, instead?

Sometimes we get so emeshed in our problems that we “can’t see the forest for the trees”. We believe the answer will be found if we just “try” a little harder yet we often end up following an exhaustive circle of indecision. The “perfect” solution doesn’t appear and we begin to sink into frustration and even despair. Our saboteur’s voice appears to remind us we are lame and whispers a multitude of discouraging and disempowering chit chat in our ear.

What’s the answer? I recommend hanging out with a young child for a while. I spent yesterday with our 3 year old grandson and his problem solving skills are amazing. He “persevered” relentlessly asking for his new tent to be put up in the living room until he was successful. If one strategy failed, he simply turned on the charm and tried another idea. He certainly never entertained the idea of giving up! He creatively moved the 2 small tents and tunnel into a variety of formats and then created a fabulous array of imaginary stories to match. Perhaps now one could be a rescue tent requiring his ambulance and fire truck. That was great for a bit then it was time for a new idea – how about we all go camping!!! Get out the blankets and perhaps a snack that includes marshmallows for our fire! The ideas flew fast and furious as only the attention span of a toddler can do and he was wildly enthusiastic about them all. He wasn’t, however, stuck that any of them were the “right” one but simply tried them all with a sense of adventure.

What if you approached your life like that? What if you embraced a sense of adventure and tried a bunch of ideas with that type of energy? No attachment that one had to be right and complete permission to dream, laugh, and try anything. What a concept? What might be possible from here? A book I have called “Secret’s of the World Class” refers to this as the “Law of Indirect Effort”. Who knew that playground wisdom and the unbridled joy of childhood had a professional sounding name!! I love the idea!! Play more and be wildly successful. Now there is a business plan I like!!

What “problem” of yours needs a kindergarten approach? What “struggle” do you need to let go of and explore with a more joyful, creative, playful energy? What if everything you really needed to know truly was learned in kindergarten???