Children laugh a lot. Adults laugh much less frequently. Something happens to lessen laughter. Part of what decreases laughter is putting our rascals in corner.

Arthur Schopenhauer said, “There is no absurdity so palpable but that it may be firmly planted in human head if you only begin it before age of five, by constantly repeating it with an air of great solemnity.” It is silly to diminish laughter but it is firmly planted in heads of many of us by time we are adults that it is not appropriate to laugh frequently.

The one in corner still laughs a lot.

Please Come Out to Play

So many benefits to letting one in corner out to play. If you do not, you must expend lots of energy to keep it in corner. It is irrepressible and looks for ways everyday to come out. Watch for it.

And if you do let it out, it probably will not do anything that naughty. And if it does, so what? It will give you energy and originality and creativity and memorable moments, and lots of laughter. Promise.

And Today . . .

At 9AM, noon, 3PM, 6PM, and 9PM, check in with yourself and locate your rascal. Is he or he in corner watching Appropriate Person? Out having a good time? Where else? Record your rascal’s whereabouts.

Be sure to let him or her out at least once today -- maybe to play with someone else’s rascal. Let’s hold an enormous gathering of rascals. What a time that will be. You are officially invited. ---------------------------------------------------- Publishing Guidelines: You have permission to publish this article as long as resource box is included. Please let me know of its publication by sending either a website link or a courtesy copy of your publication to Stephanie@allen-nichols.com Thank you very much.

Lesson: Failure simply means TRY AGAIN. It does not mean anything about you, that you are not worthy or not special or not meant to have what you want. You just have to keep trying.

Third, she learns from her mistakes. I notice she's refined her request time to times when she considers me most vulnerable. She gets me when I'm tired or otherwise occupied, or when there is someone else around and I'm not as likely to stand firm.

Lesson: Learn from your failures. You'll eventually be able to cut them down if you learn what NOT to do.

Fourth, she's flexible. At times when she sees I'm steadfast in my refusal to provide her drug of choice (ice cream, before you go off to summon proper authorities), she starts to negotiate for an alternative. Lollipop? Gum? Chocolate? Raisin? She usually gets me with raisin.

Lesson: Be flexible! Maybe you can't get EXACTLY what you want, but you can get an approximation. Ask for raisins!

Fifth, she eats like a pro. She eats broccoli, seafood, any crazy healthfood I decide to feed her. It makes me more likely to give her ice cream when I see she's "paid her dues" and eaten all good stuff I want her to.

Lesson: Pay your dues. Life rewards hardworking and diligent. Eat your broccoli and you're more likely to get ice cream.

Lastly, she loses with a big smile. Sometimes it turns into a joke and we laugh. So even when I "win" (and I don't really suspect I ever truly do), we stay friends and go on to negotiate another day.

Lesson: Take life's bumps with a smile. You never know when life is just two requests away from giving you a great big ice cream cone.

Well, there you have, toddler's philosophy to perseverance. Before you laugh and dismiss this as ramblings of a proud mom (guilty as charged!), take a moment to reflect on how much more successful we would all be if we faced life's challenges with aplomb of little children. Sure, they drop on floor and wail when they don't get their way (and just imagine how cathartic THAT would be if you could do that at your next meeting!) but they get right back up and try again, unafraid and unstoppable. A pretty good way to approach life, wouldn't you say?