If you want to live a more positive and joyful life, then try to be more like a child. Children are perhaps the greatest teachers of positive thinking. Children are the ultimate positive thinkers. They always look at the reasons why something can be done rather than why it cannot. They have not learned to anticipate life’s obstacles and challenges. Children see life as one big adventure. Maybe we would all benefit by adopting this type of attitude.

Have you ever noticed how children seem to be fearless? They will try anything once. They love life and are optimistic and happy. Children love to explore and learn about what the world has to offer.

Do you remember when you were a child and you experienced something for the first time? I sure do. It was so exciting! I remember the first time I saw the ocean; I was in awe and I still am.

When I was about 4 years old, I tried cheesecake for the very first time. I wasn’t sure I would like it because I just couldn’t imagine how cheese and cake would taste together. My only point of reference for cheese was from the grilled cheese sandwiches that my Mother used to make. How this could be incorporated into cake was beyond my grasp. My Mom said she thought I would like it so I was willing to give it a go. Wow! It was so delicious. Just one bite and my skepticism turned to joy!

I remember learning to tell time. It made me feel as if I had been inducted into an elite club. Possessing that new knowledge was so exciting.

I remember learning to ride my bicycle when I was about 4 ½. My parents surprised me with a bike they had seen me admiring at a department store. I was overjoyed when I discovered they had bought me that very same one.

My new bike had training wheels and it wasn’t long until I started bugging my Dad to take them off. After all, I wasn’t a baby anymore! He told me I had better be sure because he wasn’t going to put them back on. I said I was positive I wanted them gone and he promptly removed them.

It was time for my maiden voyage. My Dad ran along side me, keeping me upright as I pedaled, and then he let go. Whee! I was riding by myself. I felt free and empowered. I rode about 40 feet and then attempted to turn around in my neighbor’s driveway. This resulted in my first crash. It was no big deal. I didn’t care about a slightly bloody and scraped knee, I just wanted to get back on that bike and ride. I was fearless and from that point on the sidewalks were mine! Annhurst Road would never be the same and neither would I.

I was painfully shy as a small child, which I have more than overcome. Learning to ride my bicycle was possibly one of the first steps towards helping me to come out of my shell. Anyone who knows me, knows that I have long since abandoned the shell.

Children have this sense of wonderment. It’s how they learn and how they develop their identity.

Children use their imaginations on a regular basis. They are always coming up with new ideas and solutions. Children are naturally positive because they haven’t yet learned to focus on the negative. They spend more time navigating with their feelings. It feels better to think positively and so this is what they do.

Let yourself develop that childlike sense of wonder. Slow down and take time to enjoy life. Allow yourself to get caught up in doing more of the things you really love to do. Stop filling everyday with to do’s and always look for the positive.

Here are some ways you can experience more joy by looking at the world through the eyes of a child.

• Be curious . Explore the world. Instead of walking away from the unknown, walk towards it. Be bold and be curious. Children are always exploring. This is how they learn. Let yourself start exploring again.

• Accept a challenge . When children are challenged, they get excited and look at it as a game. Let yourself accept challenges instead of walking away.

• Make a mess. Children love to make messes. They do so because they are learning and they simply do not care if they get a little messy in the process. Happiness can sometimes be messy.

• Use Your Imagination. When you’re a child almost everything you do revolves around pretending. Imagination is a wonderful thing. Do things that stimulate your creativity.

We spend so much time and effort trying to grow up and be responsible that sometimes we lose our childlike sense of wonder.

Try to remember some of your first experiences as a child. If you have trouble remembering back that far, then do the next best thing; watch children at play. Notice how they are completely caught up in what they are doing. They live in the moment.

The next time you do something you’ve never done before, approach it with that same childlike sense of wonder. Whether it’s dining at a new restaurant, traveling to a new location, or learning something new, just let yourself be open to fully enjoy the experience by focusing on that moment and only that moment. Seek out and embrace new experiences.

When you see through the eyes of a child, the world is full of amazing possibilities. : p !

Are you living life in the present, crying over the past, or dreaming about the future?  The other day I mentioned the quote,

"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today? Today is a gift. That’s why we call it The Present ."

The present is a gift, the past and the future both reside in your mind.  While it’s certainly a great idea to visualize your future, it’s counterproductive to spend too much time there.  As for the past, there’s certainly nothing wrong with taking a stroll down Memory Lane.  However, it’s wise to let go of that which no longer serves you and stop carrying the burden of the mistakes of your past.  The past is gone and the future lives in your imagination.

We’ve all been guilty of not hearing the sound of opportunity knocking at one time or another.  Maybe we just didn’t recognize the opportunity at the time.  It’s the old shoulda, woulda, coulda.  As for the future, taking action today is the best thing you can do to prevent you from worrying about tomorrow or having regrets.  Worrying about the future is an exercise in futility.  By not living in the present, we miss the beauty and joy of what’s happening now.

One of my hobbies is photography, an enjoyable pursuit that allows us to capture today’s images, which will become tomorrow’s memories.  However, artistic photography is much more than a means by which to record history, it’s a true art medium.

Photography is a subtractive art form in that the photographer begins with the entire world and must selectively extract the elements that portray the essence of a place or subject.  I photograph images that intrigue me on an emotional or artistic level and then do my best to capture and highlight the intrinsic charm of that magical moment.

The ability to suspend and preserve fragments in time is one of the reasons I love photography.  The other is the art of seeing.  It requires me to be totally in the moment, cognizant of these magnificent vignettes of everyday life.  The world is my canvas and I feel privileged to share my vision of this fascinating planet with others.

Being in the moment allows you to focus on what’s in front of you.  Many people go through life in a trance and don’t stop to take the time to live in the moment. They’re going though the motions as if they’re on autopilot.  Some people also tend to think that by multi-tasking they’re accomplishing more, when they’re really not giving either task 100% of their focus.

Once I visited a physician who asked me to explain the reason for my visit.  In the middle of my explanation, he began reading my chart.  Not only did I find this to be quite rude, it was also quite inefficient as it’s very difficult to read and listen at the same time.  Notice I said I visited this physician “once”!

Think about the instances when you’ve been so engrossed in something that you totally lost track of time; it could be a hobby, a book, a movie, dinner with a friend, or anything you love doing.  That’s called living in the moment.  When you’re living in the moment you’re living in the present. If you’re not living in the present, you aren’t enjoying the gift of today and the world of may never discover the gifts you might have contributed.