By Paul Akingbola

Babies are awesome. They are really cute. They grow into children who through adolescence, grow to become adults. I was once a baby who just like any other, desperately wanted to grow into an adult─ I really desired it.

But now, hopefully, you know the truth: I now dread it. Perhaps because most employers today, only hire graduates who are below the age of 27. The case was and is same for many of us and I’m curious, why? That’s how I knew I am still a baby.

I was so excited at the age of 17 that I couldn’t wait to clock 18. I seriously was hoping my 20^th birthday would be the very day after the 19^th.

Every 6^th of April was a “woo!” experience. I so loved being seen as grown that at 21, I managed to make my course mates believe I was 22 just to clear the doubt brought about by my baby–face. Sometimes, I’d say to elderly folks: “I’m 23 and I am no longer a kid”. The same was the case at 22 too. But at 23 came that conscious reaction: “hey, wait, wasup? I’m growing mehn!” At 24, I was like “oh no, time’s not my friend!” At 25 however, I was crying to God to make it stop. I badly wanted to be 22 again. Maybe 21 or even 20 since claiming 19 would be preposterous.

As we grow, we try to tally our age with our achievements and here comes an air of disappointment. “Look at my mates. See how far they’ve gone and how great they are doing”: that was the feeling. But here’s the good news, I got over mine: it was via the three lessons the life of a baby teaches us:

i. Curiosity─ babies are very curious 

It’s good you were curious as a child. You wanted it badly, to grow and you got it. Why despise it now? A baby wants to know what’s in a container; he wants to touch and feel it.

A baby would do anything just to protect his toy, get in through a cleft, hold unto a table and even climb a chair or something akin.

Sometimes, he gets hurt but he won’t just stop. Like babies, innovators want to try something new all the time. That’s curiosity. You need it too; maybe just a little more.

 

ii. Struggle─ babies fight tirelessly for what they want:

Give a baby a piece of sweet and expect it back? That would be very tough. You take it by force? See commotion! Babies hold tightly to what they have and struggle hard to never lose it. Without them knowing, they break through barriers, defile orders, carve niches and make some kind of difference. When a child wants something badly, s/he chases it madly─ crying incessantly for it and maybe, crawling seamlessly towards it. And really, that’s how s/he starts walking.

 

iii. Happiness─ babies are always happy 

Ever watched a baby play immediately after a prolonged moment of crying? You’d marvel! That’s one great lesson babies teach us; they live as though, they were never broken. Living life like it’s one; it’s just one, actually.

A playing child certainly can’t remember he once cried. Babies need no special reason to be happy. They are just happy.

Living a super-life means happily struggling towards greatness with intense curiosity. Babies are adventurous. They are like stars on earth; they are all special. Be a baby. You are special too.

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I am Paul Akingbola. You can join the conversation using #SuperLiving on Twitter and Instagram. Fastest way to reach me: [email protected]. Many thanks.