There are two types of people: the first ones urge you to grow up asap, to become mature and stop acting like a child. The second group, on the other hand, tells you to always remember about your inner child and stay true to him.

I can’t tell which side I’m on, because, as usual, I’m somewhere in the middle. I think it’s vital to be mature and responsible in this life, to learn how to take care of yourself instead of always expecting others to take care of you and then blaming them for a failure. However, I also reckon that we’re all kids inside our souls and that we should let ourselves be childish every now and then. Most children (not everyone though, as there are lots of mean kids out there) are far better people than grown ups, they’re more sincere and pure.

On June 1 we celebrate Children’s Day in our country (and in lots of other countries as well). For kids it’s just a fun day, with cool events around the city, lots of balloons and presents for them. For grown ups, it’s a day to reminisce about their own childhood, or do something beneficial for the future generations. In honor of such a good day, I decided to make a post about all those things we should learn from kids and the reasons why we should be a little less serious, and a little more childish.

p.s. Before starting the list, I should make a warning. When I mention a specific characteristic, it doesn’t mean that all children are like that. There are lots of factors that depend on upbringing, parents and, of course, their character. I made this list based on everything I remember about myself and all my friends, when we were little, as well studying and analyzing my younger cousins or just other kids I happen to know.

1. Kids are optimists

They see the best in everything and everyone. Life doesn’t have hardships for them, merely adventures and new challenges. When something bad happens, they don’t focus on that, they always find something else, something better to fill their world with. I think that’s a great quality that adults miss. Life can often be difficult and not pleasant, but that doesn’t mean that we should forget all the good stuff around and only concentrate on the negative side.

2. Kids aren’t afraid of new things

They always want to learn, even if they fail. They aren’t afraid to talk to new people, make new friends, go and do something new. They don’t think about the consequences of the failure, they see something they like and instantly want to try it. Of course you should always be a little precautious, especially when it comes to some extreme activities, but in general it’s a great thing to learn from them.

3. Kids know what they want

When they grow a little older, kids usually know what they want to do in this life. They have a great passion, which usually gets ruined by their parents and the society. Some kids have a strong love for art, others for sports or any other craft, but what do parents do? They only see profit in any activity and destroy their kids’ dreams just because their dreams were once destroyed too. Whereas kids want to do something because that’s what their heart whispers to them.

4. Kids never compare themselves with others

That’s also something that we learn from adults. Most kids don’t care how others look, what grades they receive, what toys they have. Until they get “kindly” reminded about it by their parents. And that’s how we grow, always focusing on what others have and we lack, always thinking that grass is greener on the other side. If a kid (not a spoiled one) has one favorite toy that makes him happy, he won’t ever be jealous of all the amazing toys that others have.

5. Kids believe in miracles

I’m not telling you, that you should believe in mermaids, Santa Clause or Tooth Fairy as an adult, but miracles and magic don’t end with those things. It’s the same feeling of optimism, believing that dreams do come true, that people are good and life is amazing. It’s about believing that good things can and will happen to you too. Those are the true miracles of life.

6. Kids are genuine

When a child loves you, it’s the most heartfelt feeling that can exist. They don’t care how you look, whether you’re rich, successful, famous or not. They make friends with those, whom they sincerely like and they don’t give a crap about their faults of shortcomings. They’re also very genuine when it comes to showing their emotions. They can hug you, kiss you without even thinking about it. They express their negative emotions as well, that’s why kids can fight a lot, but it will only make their friendships stronger, because there are no unsaid words or feelings that’s eating them from inside.

7. Kids aren’t afraid to look stupid

Last but definitely not least, kids don’t care about others’ opinions. They do what they want, without thinking how they look from aside. They can jump, dance or sing on the streets. They’ll laugh aloud, jump in the biggest puddle, play with the stray animals and feel genuinely happy. We, on the other hand, are always self conscious about how we look, what others will think of us, even when it comes to the most simple things, like dying our hair in a bright color, wearing what we want, goofing around and acting like fools. For us others’ opinions are sometimes more important than our happiness, and that’s honestly the worst mindset to have.

There are lots of other good qualities to talk about, but in that case this post will have no end. The most important thing to note is to be kind and pure. Today, look through your old photos or diaries, try to remember how you felt as a child and bring the best and most beneficial features back to your older self.