What can adults learn from children?: originally appeared on Quora: The best answer to any question. Ask a question, get a great answer. Learn from experts and access insider knowledge. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.
The best thing to learn from a child is how can we make our life less complicated.
Smile often for no reason
Remember how when you were a child, you used to smile a lot, mostly for no specific reason? Where has that smile gone now? It has been lost in pursuit of becoming a sensible adult. That innocent smile that won a million hearts has disappeared behind a rational human being. Now we smile only for photographs or on special occasions.
Smiling is a very powerful and contagious act. If you smile often, whatever your mood, you will feel a sense of happiness. The people around you will also feel the same vibe. I have been using this technique for quite some time now. I smile when when I go pass a stranger. Most of the time, the stranger smiles back. If you are smiling for a reason, that reason can be taken back from you any time. You do not need a reason to smile.
Remain focused on the work at hand
In this advanced age of smartphones and self-driving cars, we think that we can do multi-tasking as well as a computer. We can talk to our friends while looking at our Facebook updates. We can enjoy the beach while constantly checking for emails. We can attend a lecture while playing Candy Crush Saga. Human brains do not have the capacity to handle a lot of tasks at the same time.
When you were a child, you did not think about office files while building a castle on the beach. You were so engrossed in the work at hand that you did not care about any other task. If you are able to remove unnecessary distractions from your life and focus on a single task, you would make your life much simpler.
Don't care much about other people
Children tend to do what they feel like doing. They do not worry much about the consequences or what others will think. But as we grow we start practicing extreme social caution. We start caring about how others might be judging us. How am I looking in these clothes? What will my colleagues think if I speak up in the meeting? Will people appreciate my answers on Quora?
The fact that most people do not understand is that no one really cares about you. People are so engrossed in their own lives that they do not have time to think about you. Once you realize this, it will be a big step towards freedom. You have a great idea and want to start a company. Go ahead with it. You are willing to travel the world and have saved enough for it. Start traveling now. You should only care about people who really love you a lot and who will be there with you during the worst of times. These are your family and close friends.
Enjoy the little things
"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things." - Robert Brault
All through our lives, we keep looking for a purpose. We remain in a mindless pursuit for meaningless success. In that pursuit, we keep on ignoring the small things in life that can give us a lot of happiness.
A child gives a lot of importance to these little things. That is the secret of their happiness. They do not complicate their lives with a number of goals. They dance in the first rains of the season, sing when they hear their favorite song and laugh when they are cuddled.
There are so many lessons a child can teach us that can make our lives so much simpler. We just have to observe and follow them.