When you were a child, did you ever watch a movie and then reenact your own version of it? Did you ever let your imagination run wild? You were King Kong and you knocked over your little sisters Barbie house? However, then you reached a certain age and it died, didn’t it? The childhood imagination and creativity faded as we learned to be adults.

What is fascinating about childhood is our imaginations are so strong that we can step in and out of vastly different worlds in just seconds. We can change worlds, change people, even change universes at a whim. We can create vastly different dimensions and creators to interact with and these creations are almost real.

As we become adults, our creativity seems to fade and we live our lives rigidly. We base our realities off of the ‘real world’ and all of it’s consequences. The only way we escape it is through what the media feeds us on TV, alcohol, and drugs. Sometimes we escape through sharing in the drama of those around us to take our mind off our mundane lives.

Now don’t stop reading, this may or may not be you, however this is not about living a mundane life and drowning out misery. What if you could bring back the childlike creativity that gave you the ability to fly, become invincible, create alternate realities, and be a completely different person?

Our creativity as a child gave us the power to see past our circumstances and build something better. It allowed us to become any one we wanted to be. Think back to when you learned to skateboard to fit in, or you learned to make fun of others to get ahead? Perhaps you learned how to fight back against the bullies. I learned how to manipulate who I was to fit in at an early age, but it wasn’t until I was an adult that I learned just how powerful this skill would be.

If you could only apply the creativity to dream up various universes and combine it with the ability to mold who we are to get the desired end result, what would our lives be? What could be accomplished? Our abilities would be endless! You can do that, you just have to bring back your childhood wonder.

“There are five important things for living a successful and fulfilling life: never stop dreaming, never stop believing, never give up, never stop trying, and never stop learning.” – Roy Bennett

As children we were flexible and loving, however as adults we are rigid and cold. As children we were loving and compassionate, however as adults we are careless and bitter. “Life” happened right? Wrong. Just as when you learned to play video games to fit in, you learned how to be an ‘adult’ and you learned how to ‘be’. You can again learn to find the wonder in the world today.

Do you think one day Steve Jobs woke up with an entire plan on how to build his company? He started with a dream, an idea to create something totally different, his own device, his own world. Now it took a lot to get his company where it is today but it started out with that very same childhood wonder and ideals.

The best part of being a child is you haven’t been told “you cant” by the world yet.  You haven’t had any heartbreak, life changing disappointment, or you just don’t understand it yet. The main part of childlike wonder which can be used in business is courage, fearlessness, and the willingness to learn.

Think of your business as a totally different world, something that isn’t even real, something that if it didn’t work out it would be ok, now what would you do? What changes would you make? How would your business look today if you ran it knowing 100% for sure everything would work?

Take those ideas, write them down, and make them into goals for your business. I am not saying in anyway change your entire business plan and be fearless, assume all the odds are in your favor. When you put yourself in that mindset, you’ll come up with ideas you think are completely impossible, but they aren’t. Make them into goals, break the big seemingly impossible goal into smaller more manageable goals, and follow your childlike dream.

“The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.” – Oprah Winfrey

Ok so I know not everyone can completely change their mindset just like that, yet there is no problem in asking for help. Who could possibly help with getting you in a childlike mindset? Maybe talk to some kids, see what they would do, remember what it felt like to be a kid. Maybe take a day and just act like a kid, go to the beach, play on a playground, change your scenery, change your mindset.

Now you don’t have to be a child to keep your childlike wonder. In today’s world, it can be hard to see the good and keep a positive mindset. If we could capture just a little of that feeling and put it into our business, how much of your passion for what you do could be restored? And how much could you accomplish if the world never told you, “you can’t.” In life we can’t let doubt and fear get in the way of our dreams, and we must do the same with our business.

How do you maintain a creative outlook in such negative world? Let us know by commenting below!

Image courtesy of Twenty20.com