Seasons Greetings

A bit late, but hey: better late then never... And, I promise not to swear this time!

I'm trying to type this while on the train, homeward bound from a day of Dutch museums with the kids in Amsterdam. Sitting in the entrance platform because my youngest fell asleep in the buggy. So we just boarded her while sleeping...

Looking at my 2yr old I can't help but noticing: kids her age eat, play, talk and sleep to the fullest. They don't hold back, they don't bite their tongue. When they laugh, they do so with their whole being. If they cry, it's because their world is ending. And at this point: she's not just dozing. She's not even sleeping. She's completely knocked out...

My eldest is eight. And she's already starting to loose this ability. It's probably what we call "socially accepted behavior" that's kicking in. But while learning to be civilised, we also constrain ourselves in other ways. We seem to forget how wonderful it is to experience the wonderful thrill of unfiltered joy and excitement. The cleansing power of uncensored sadness.

I'm wondering: does this dampening blanket of social standards constrain us in our work? In my last post I went nuclear on a guy who flamed me for no reason (well, in my opinion anyway). Why? Because I'm passionate about what I do. And constraining myself all the time feels like a betrayal towards that passion.

Off course my wife tells me that I probably shouldn't do that kind of stuff. Keep calm, be the better man.  That I can accomplish more if I keep my cool and be diplomatic. And she's probably right...

But you know what: I don't think it's a bad thing actually. I love it when my inner child takes over, flooding with excitement to get to work and make stuff happen. And I accept that the same child has it's temper when attacked. I actually embrace it. If I didn't care about getting crapped upon, it would mean I lost my passion.

Here's my seasons greeting to you all: may you find your inner child just a few times this year. Loose yourself in joy and excitement. Feel the uncontrollable urge to high-five everyone you meet while dancing the entire route to work.

But keep in mind though: you might not want to hit send when your inner child starts writing your emails... Luckily, there's an app for that: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app.scheduled.emailLite

Best of luck to you all in 2014!