Suspension of disbelief and age, the power of a child's acceptance

We are coming to the holiday season.  Halloween has come and gone, small gremlins and goblins have begged for morsels at our doors and Linus has left the pumpkin patch for the year.  Now we start seeing the stars of possibility gleam in our children's eyes.  Holiday movies are flowing over the airways and we see versions of Santa ranging from Tim Taylor to David Harbour as Babbo Natale beating up terrorists.  Have you seen the new pitch for the holidays?  It has The Rock, JK Simmons and Chris Evans, Santa pumping iron is a bit of a leap from milk and cookies but I will still go and see it.

Every year I sit down with The Santa Clause and watch as Scott Calvin questions everything he experienced on Christmas night while Charlie cheers his father on to remember what happened and believe.  Kids don't understand limitations, they hopefully haven't been battered by adult experiences that make us question what we saw.  Children see what they want to see, clearly envision their dreams without the limitations that adults build on their own.   I want to do something big and I worry about money, reliable vehicles, pet care, responsibilities, and other limitations that have nothing to do with what I know and everything to do with what I don't.

Perhaps we need to stop thinking about why we can't and just think like children about why we want to do something.  Seminars are about identifying the roadblocks and formulating plans to overcome them.  We tend to look at the Why Nots first and not just why we should.  As adults we have been taught that wanting to achieve something without considering how it will affect others is selfish.  Big lofty goals are only worthwhile unless they are for the benefit of others (as I write this I can feel my conscience twinging because I have been taught to point this out is social heresy).  Grants I have applied for have the inevitable question that takes into consideration how my goal will better others, the community, society or the less fortunate.  What is wrong with dreaming big for yourself if it won't hurt others?  Oh, the bigger the goal; the more small dreams you might step on to achieve it. 

Charlie didn't question what he knew, he didn't have life to quash his memories or make him doubt what he knew to be true.  Maybe as adults, we need to let go of the Why Nots and just focus on what we might be able to achieve.  Consider the problems as we come to them instead of looking down the road for what might be a difficulty.  Yes, that might be a looking before you leap situation. but I'll admit being bucked off a few times and it never seemed to hurt as much as I expected it to.  With that in mind, I have a few applications to fill out.  Keep your fingers crossed for me