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Oh what a childhood I had! We were a poor, unassuming and happy family. For all the things I lacked in life temporally, we had in spades with love and laughter. I wouldn't have traded those times for all the money in the world.
Not to say there was no drama or difficulties, of course there were, but nothing that stands out or has left any sort of impression on my mind.
I would have a perfect marriage, my work life would be bliss, I would make millions, and who would be fighting with a girlfriend? Oh boy!!
So is this a problem? Well, let me tell you this, that when young, naive, happy Justin hit the 'real' world, a large pie repeatedly hit me in the face.....repeatedly!!
So the risk of letting a child grow up in a world where they don't have many disappointments is that they carry those thoughts of how the world is into adult life, where the people are not as friendly and forgiving as those at home. This is not only negative of course, because a happy sheltered childhood also allows the child to develop in a happy way, seeing everything as a glass half full mindset. This is the case with me....the pie to the face hit me often, made me sad, yet it was always quite quickly changed into a positive, 'this can change' thought.
Oh don't get me wrong, the lessons were hard pills to swallow, no one likes to realize that they are not working hard enough, or thinking enough ahead, or good at everything they do. But these lessons do come, and they are not padded in soft cotton-wool, they are hard, spiked and regular.
I love this quote by Gordon Hinckley. Its true, and when I read the rest of what was said, it's not a negative thing either.
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So you can get hurt and taken advantage of with a naive understanding of things, but don't be discouraged, often knowing too much has negative affects too. As adults we're so scared of getting hurt, or taking the plunge....why?? Because we know too much. We've been hurt before. We've seen this fail before. This is why the youngsters accomplish things that were never done before, because they are naive and don't know it will fail.
I think it is wise to expect the unexpected, but don't overthink, judge, decide before trying in all cases, sometimes you need to be positive, take the plunge and accept that you chose to do so.
In some cases it's GOOD to be naive.
I give a personal example. I traveled to work daily and listened to the news happening in the world...it was depressing to hear and see what was happening. The world started to become dark, sad and threatening, and I started to be affected by those thoughts.
I decided to use that time in a different way, listening to positive uplifting talks on the way to the office. What a difference. It didn't change the way the world was heading, and it didn't affect my place in it, but man my life changed for the good. I was way more happy, focused, energized and frankly...happy. NOT knowing actually improved my life.
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We don't have to keep our head in the sand, and become oblivious to what is happening around us, this is not what I'm 'selling', but it should not be seen as a negative or as a failure to not know everything, or to have our finger on every pulse, because sometimes, life is for the living of it, and not for the conquering of it.
Let people enjoy their lives, and decide what is important for them to spend time in learning.
So it may seem that I'm going nowhere with this line of thought. Is it good or bad to be naive. From the above it seems neither, and THAT is the point.
Don't be bogged down by what you don't know and let it hold you back, or that others know more than you, or feel pressure to know all there is about the world. The things that matter to you will be things you know of. Learn the things that matter to you, and don't fret the things that are not known yet....they will come if you really desire them.
Fact is, the things you really care about are what you spend your time on, no way around it.
And anyway, we now have a platform (Steemit) that allows us to learn and grow at a safe and non judgmental pace. And frankly, for a naturally naive person, this is something I'm enjoying.
For the rest of the things that just tend to bring one down, my head can stay in the ground for now.