I eagerly look forward to Halloween each year because
inevitably some of the children in their costumes surprise me. Last night was no exception and while I
thoroughly enjoyed the energy and enthusiasm of the ‘trick-or-treat’ revelers,
there were two little girls that just had me rolling in laughter. They each in their own way signaled that they
knew exactly what they wanted and in their uniquely innocent ways, reminded me
that keeping things simple is sometimes the best path.
Both girls were probably not more than 4 years old and as
cute as little ones can be especially at that age. Both were somewhat shy in approaching our
doorway and in a meek voice whispered their ‘trick-or-treat’ greeting. This is where things got really funny. The first girl watched me carefully place the
candy in her bucket only to promptly pull it out proclaiming quite boldly and
clearly that “I don’t like that kind” as she handed it back to me. Trying to keep from bursting in laughter, I
reached back into the bucket and pulled out something different asking her if
that was better. “Yes” she proclaimed,
thanked me, and was on her way. I just
nearly split my gut laughing after she left and my wife who hadn’t witnessed
this innocent act of assertion was soon laughing with me.
The second girl was even younger and being escorted by her
older sister. Like the first, she
approached quietly and almost imperceptibly requested her treat. After reaching into the bucket and placing a
piece of candy in her bag, she looked up at me as if “only one piece” was
insufficient and without a single word, reached her hand into the bucket,
grabbed a few more pieces, thanked me, and turned. Her sister all the while had this shocked
look on her face insisting her younger sister return the extra candy. I told her it was fine and they left. Once again, I’m rolling on the stoop laughing
uncontrollably. Ah the innocence of
children!
There was a valuable lesson in the innocent acts of these
two children – know what you want and don’t be apologetic about it. While some would argue that the behavior of
these two children represented greed, arrogance, or envy, I don’t believe that
these girls harbored those feelings in their hearts at all. Clearly, the girl that didn’t like the candy
I had selected for her was simply asserting that what she received wasn’t going
to work for her. She wasn’t ungrateful
about it, but she did assert her own truth in that moment. The little one who wanted more was simply
asking for more in the best way she could.
For all I know, they may have been allowed to only visit a few homes as
I did notice her bucket was relatively empty when she visited. Who was I to judge her intent especially one
so innocent.
As I reflected later last evening and in writing this
morning, I’m reminded that as adults, we often make the topic of ‘knowing what
we want’ far more complicated than it needs to be. This makes setting and pursuing objectives
far more complex than is necessary.
There really is nothing wrong with having a clear picture in your mind
on what you want and to be very direct with people. How can you expect others to join you and
follow your lead when your objective is opaque or too generalized to be of much
use? If your intentions are honorable
and you don’t seek to harm in any way, then there should be nothing selfish or
wrong about stating what you want and going for it. Just like these two precious children,
keeping it simple and direct is not only far more effective, it’s also more
authentic.
Duane Grove is founder of Connect2Action and an aspiring
quiet, reflective servant-leader.
Curious sage in perpetual development connecting us all on a journey of
discovery of our highest purpose. Follow
Duane on Twitter @connect2action and connect with him on LinkedIn, Facebook,
and Google+. Learn more about
Connect2Action by visiting www.connect2action.com.
You can follow his blogs at: mindfulperspectives.blogspot.com and
connect2action.blogspot.com
