Why Five-Year-Olds Seem Happier Than We Are

By Ahsan

As we grow older, we tend to take life the way adults do.

We analyze our problems. We take our responsibilities seriously. And every now and then, we become stressed, upset, or weighed down by everything coming at us.

Then we think even more.

We try harder to solve the problem, fix the situation, or figure out what went wrong. But instead of finding relief, we often get stuck. One stressful day rolls into the next, carrying an undercurrent of tension and low feelings.

We may distract ourselves for a while, but we cannot seem to shake it off.

Have you ever noticed how quickly young children let go of an upset?

One moment they are crying because their cookie broke. Next, they are laughing, playing, or asking for another one. When they play, they play. When they sleep, they sleep. When they are hungry, they find someone to make them something to eat.

Why can’t we be more like that?

What are children experiencing that we, as adults, often are not?

My view is that children stay closer to the present moment. They do not give a difficult moment a long-term lease in their minds. A feeling comes, and then—usually—it moves on.

We, on the other hand, do not need to regress to childhood. But we do need to notice what happens when we get caught up in thinking.

We start trying to force an answer.

And here is the curious part: that is rarely when the answer comes.

The answer often arrives when we step away from the problem—when we are walking, showering, driving, sleeping, or simply giving our mind a rest.

Suddenly, an insight pops into awareness. In that instant, we know what to do next. The fog lifts. The stress begins to melt.

That is not a coincidence. It is how the mind works.

Sydney Banks described three principles—Mind, Consciousness, and Thought—as the foundation of human experience. In simple terms, thought creates our moment-to-moment experience, consciousness allows us to experience it as real, and Mind is the deeper intelligence behind life itself.

The more childlike we can be in accepting what is happening—without endlessly chewing on it—the more naturally we return to well-being. We become happier from day to day and moment to moment.

The true source of much of our stress is holding on to a negative thought and believing it is true.

We replay the conversation. We predict the worst. We rehearse our resentment. We turn a passing cloud into a permanent climate.

Of course, adults have real responsibilities. We cannot simply abandon every difficult situation and go play in the sandbox—although, frankly, some meetings would improve considerably if we did.

But we can stop treating stress as an instruction to think harder.

Instead, see it as a signal.

A signal that you are caught up in thought. A signal to step back, relax, and allow a little space. Wisdom and clear guidance often arrive when we stop trying to squeeze them out of a tired, overworked mind.

So the next time you feel upset because circumstances are not changing quickly enough, or because someone is not behaving nicely, do yourself a favor.

Do not take stress as a cue to think harder.

Take it as a wake-up call to step back and let your thinking settle.

The answers you need may be closer than you think.

I hope you find this helpful—and perhaps even life-changing.

Tell me what you think.

But don’t think too hard.

Have An Awesome Day Every Day!

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