Uncrazying

Lately, I’ve been pondering the idea that we are born into the planet a little crazy. I don’t mean like psycho. I mean, just a little antsy, jittery or feisty even. Anyone who doesn’t think so should spend a little time on a preschool playground. There’s snatching, pulling, “falling out”, screeching to the highest heights of heaven, and the list rolls out like a never-ending red carpet. Don’t get me wrong, there’s always hugging and smiling, but toddler ‘s “turn up” without apology. In the blink of an eye, I could be racing across the classroom to “break up” a Dinosaur dispute or console a crying tot who’s been shoved to the ground for not giving up her Hot Wheels car.

I started pondering this because I recently discovered I’ve been holding an unconscious belief that we’re born into the planet as sweet little innocent angels and that we pretty much stay that way until we learn the bad habits of other humans. But since I’ve been teaching preschool, that belief has been busted, bruised, and battered, which is a good thing. It kind of let’s me off the hook…a little.

What level of sanity can I expect from myself if I came to the planet competing, fussing, and crying? Well, with hard work and awareness, the sky is the limit. Obviously, as we grow and socialize, we learn that pounding someone’s head with a wooden block is not the way to behave. We learn that in order to function in the world as thriving members of society we need to cooperate and share the sandbox.

This revelation has helped me greatly by asking me to be gentler with myself and more patient as I grow and adapt to the many twists and turns of life. Knowing that I came to the planet pre-packaged (in some ways) has helped me to be less berating and condemning of my and other people’s perceived shortcomings. As I take responsibility for every area of my life, work diligently towards emotional mastery, and Uncrazying, I find that it’s easier to laugh when I fall down on the playground of life.

Image courtesy of: http://www.shutterstock.com/s/boys+fighting/search.html

note:Storytime Phoenix Press does not condone violence of any kind.