Many people find that when it comes to getting the boost of motivation that they need to achieve their personal or professional goals, they look to older mentors for advice, or the people who have done it before.

This is a great place to look if you want someone to model yourself after. However, when it comes to finding some motivational life tips, many people do not realize that the best sources for inspiration are often right in front of them, they just need to look down.

Kids can be some of the best people to look to for motivation and can offer lessons that any adult can benefit from. Many times, it is because kids are still operating with a clean slate, and have not been influenced by their experiences or the world around them.

While there is no way to go back and have the same world view that children do, there are some important life lessons that we can learn from children, if we just take the time to look at the way they view the world.

Here are 4 lessons we can learn from children:

1. Never stop exploring

When you stop exploring, asking questions and having a general curiosity about the world, you have started to limit yourself and the type of opportunities that can be put in front of you. Kids have this uncanny ability to ask strings of questions in order to find out everything from “why does a bird fly?” to “where do babies come from?” This mentality of exploring and asking questions cannot only help you learn more, but it may open up new opportunities, passions or pathways that you never considered before.

“All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” – Pablo Picasso

2. They are not afraid to make mistakes

If you look at a little kid trying something new for the first time, you will quickly see how fearless they are. They may try a hundred times to tie their shoes, and do a rather poor job at it, but they will keep doing it over and over again no matter how many times they fail. They may try to stand up 50 times in a row, without success, but it doesn’t mean they will stop. This is because kids are not as pressured by society as we are about failures. They don’t let one mishap bring them down. If we all took our failures in this way, many of us would be far more successful in our personal and professional lives.

3. Be brave

It always seems to amaze people how brave little kids can be. Whether they are ready to jump in the deep end without knowing how to swim or climb on the roof before they can really master walking, kids always seem to be getting into dangerous situations without fear. While this can give any parent a mild heart attack, there is an important lesson to be learned about bravery. You should not fear the unknown. Just because you don’t know how something will end up, you shouldn’t be afraid of it. Be brave when pursuing your goals, and if you aren’t, then just pretend to be so you can start moving forward.

“Bravery never goes out of fashion.” – Pablo Picasso

4. They are not afraid to dream big 

Dreaming big is the first step to doing something big. However, for many adults today, they are afraid to dream too big because they are afraid of what other people will say or they are afraid of failure. Kids do not have this type of inhibition. Kids are never afraid to dream big. Think about the last time you asked a little kid what they wanted to be when they grew up. Chances are you heard answers like “a princess,” “an astronaut,” “the first woman president,” or “a baseball player.” These are some pretty big and lofty dreams to adults, but to kids they seem like reality. Don’t be afraid to make your dreams a little bigger, you never know if they are possible until you try.

What are some lessons you have personally learned from kids? Please share them with us in the comment section below!