Insight: Approach life like a 2-year-old eating an ice cream cone!

There is really no one more genuine than a young child, period! I’m sure everyone reading this blog, especially parents already knew that.

In one of my all-time favorite TED Talks, The 3 A’s of Awesome, Neil Pasricha uses the example of a 3-year-old when talking about attitude, awareness, and authenticity. He urges us to find our inner 3-year-old as we engage the world with curiosity.

Katie and I are fortunate to be in this phase of life with our two girls and it is so much fun. Their expressions are priceless, they say what comes to mind, and they truly use all 5 senses to explore the world.

So in our adventures last weekend, we came across an ice cream shop. (Someone in our family has a serious sweet tooth). It was just a couple of weeks ago that I blogged about exploring joy. Does anything convey joy better than a kid eating ice cream?

Well, our 2-year-old, Addie, didn’t lollygag when it came to choosing the ice cream. She went with her go-to flavor, Chocolate. (must be dad’s influence, my brother-in-law does call me the ‘Chocolate Hammer’).

However, Addie was very clear that she wanted the ‘mermaid cone’ (sugar cone) and passed on the cake and waffle cone options. After a few well-rounded licks of the chocolate ice cream, she flipped it over and dove right into the bottom of the cone.

It was funny, but it was also a parental learning moment:

• Do we jump in to show the ‘proper way’ to eat the ice cream cone?
• Do we intervene so she doesn’t get ice cream on her clothes?
• Do we try and explain gravity to a 2-year-old?
• Do we get worried about the inevitable mess that is about to be on the table?
• Do we try and stop what we know is not going to end well?

or…

• Do we just let her go for it?
  • Eat the cone however you want – It’s half of the experience
  • Get dirty – We can wash your clothes (and the table and chairs)
  • Let them stare – Be you girl!
  • It’s just ice cream – let’s not take ourselves too seriously

But the real the insights go way beyond the ice cream cone. There are life lessons here. If you take a moment and watch a 2-year-old eat an ice cream cone, you will notice:

• They are curious
• They are happy
• They are present
• They are focused
• They are satisfied
• They are not alone
• They are not worried about what people think
• They are content

Sounds a lot like how I want to live life

• They are messy
• They sometimes need help
• They learn that sometimes it’s too much
• They learn that it comes to an end
• They learn that scarcity makes it special
• They learn that they are fortunate
• They learn that it can be taken away
• They learn that too much gives them a stomach ache

Sounds a lot like life

Ohh I know this may be taking the ice cream metaphor a bit far. But it did make me (and now you), pause for a minute and think about how something as simple as a kid eating an ice cream cone can be a way to approach our life.

And maybe next time we will get a cup and put the cone on top. Or who knows, maybe just go for the whole bucket.

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