Inspirational articles from Living Life Fully

Living with the
Heart of a Child
Joe Mazzella

My family has been adopted recently. It appears that a sweet, stray kitten about five months old has taken us to be her family. The kitten found my wife first and won over her heart completely. She then proceeded to love her way into each of my children's hearts and my own as well. It is such a joy watching my children pet her, play with her, and love her so happily. It reminds me of all the simple joys that I cherished in my own childhood: petting dogs, holding kittens, riding bikes, playing ball, swinging on swings, and swimming in the river.

The funny thing is that I still enjoy many of these things today. I am not embarrassed to swing at the playground, to love on my pets, to play ball without worrying who wins, to ride a bike, or to swim and splash in the local river. Maybe I still have the heart of a child. My wife once showed me an article about how children and adults see things differently and I found myself agreeing with the children on every point. If you ask me, having a child's heart is a pretty good thing. Children take joy freely wherever they can find it.

Adults tend to hold back on their joy for fear of being called immature. Children tend to accept and love people unconditionally.

Adults tend to judge and reject others without getting to know them. Children tend to live and find happiness in the present moment. Adults tend to live in guilt about the past and worry about the future.

Don't be afraid to live as a child then. Don't be afraid to play with a dog, cuddle a cat, and swing on a swing. Don't be afraid to enjoy the moment, to love other people, and to find fun and joy everywhere. God gives us no greater happiness than living with the wisdom, love, and kindness of a child. God gives no greater key to the Kingdom of Heaven than living with the heart of a child.

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Yes, life can be mysterious and confusing--but there's much of life that's actually rather dependable and reliable. Some principles apply to life in so many different contexts that they can truly be called universal--and learning what they are and how to approach them and use them can teach us some of the most important lessons that we've ever learned.
My doctorate is in Teaching and Learning. I use it a lot when I teach at school, but I also do my best to apply what I've learned to the life I'm living, and to observe how others live their lives. What makes them happy or unhappy, stressed or peaceful, selfish or generous, compassionate or arrogant? In this book, I've done my best to pass on to you what I've learned from people in my life, writers whose works I've read, and stories that I've heard. Perhaps these principles can be a positive part of your life, too!
Universal Principles of Living Life Fully. Awareness of these principles can explain a lot and take much of the frustration out of the lives we lead.