“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Some people just exist, that is all.” – Oscar Wilde.

Remember how as a child you were so desperate to have your hands on that cookie jar which used to sit at the topmost shelf in the kitchen? You would do almost anything that your heart would tell, without worrying about the consequences. You did what you want, and things just magically fell into place. Even if there was a problem, you would have a quick solution to it and knew how to face that problem. So, you see, the secret of success even then, was in your own tiny hands!

So, then what happened when you grew up? Dr. Sanjay Prem contemplates that as people grow up, and start to be more aware of the “Right” and “Wrong” or “Dangerous” and “Safe,” a lot of things come into perspective. People then want to fit into the society, and follow the prescribed norms. This is why many of us find life sometimes to be boring, colorless and confined to certain rules.

Losing the touch with your inner child

“Child is the father of man,” said the famous poet William Wordsworth, and it is absolutely true to the point. As people grow up, they start losing their touch with their inner-self. This kills the eagerness to learn and know more. As a child, we are always in the hunt for something new, and our thoughts never limit us.  We have to be constantly in touch with our inner child and that is the secret to success. Gaining knowledge is a lifelong process. Hence, being a child can work wonders for corporate success in life. However, if we start using our imagination and creativity in its purest form, we can come across some very unique concepts and find new perspectives. Being unaware of the surroundings can be such an adventurous experience. For once it is so important to let your mind wander and come to a conclusion, which you haven’t ever thought of while you were in control. Let yourself free and see how the success in life will eventually follow.

The question is about finding out why we are not able to direct our minds to think like a child again, to be able to let our emotions and thought flow without a hint of doubt. Dr. Sanjay Prem points out 3 primary ways by which you can awaken your inner child, and integrate that into the corporate life.

Taking problems as an opportunity:

In a child’s mind, there are no problems, only solutions. They learn to divert their energies into looking for the solutions to the problem, instead of thinking about the problem itself. As adults, we can learn to analyze the problem, and take that opportunity to learn something new out of the entire experience. Imagine the kind of difference we can make if we were able to see all the problems as opportunities, the word “Problem” would be eliminated from our life altogether!

 “There’s a time for daring and there’s a time for caution, and a wise man understands which is called for.”

No Scope for Imagination:

As we enter into the world of adults, our imagination power takes a backseat. This is because we start assuming that these thoughts are immature or don’t really make any sense. We tend to believe that we should be intelligent in order to be a part of the corporate society. This is the exact reason why we lose our power of imagination, especially in the corporate culture. Living in an imaginary world is not a bad thing, if it can open up a new possibility for you, creativity actually makes work interesting! It is very important to be able to explore the world that is full of possibilities, and let our imagination take control sometimes.

“No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world.”

Work for your passion, not bank balance:

Children only do things that their heart tells them to do, they never take time for a second thought and try to rationalize it. As adults, we need to learn to be able to follow our heart, and do things that makes us happy. This way, every task will become slightly more interesting, and it wouldn’t feel like a burden anymore. Even in the corporate world, there is scope to be able to use our own imagination, and do things that we love.  If you follow your heart, money will definitely follow.

“…And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.”