Lessons From a One-Year-Old
Stop Apologizing and Move On
As a father of a one-year-old, I’m supposed to be teaching my son things. More often, I find that he is teaching me. One-year-olds teach us a lot of things. They teach us how to move on and not worry about the small stuff so that when they grow up, they can deal with significant challenges such as bullying or cancer without falling apart.
Children are born into an emotional world where nothing is certain except their parents’ love for them. From the moment they come into this world, babies constantly explore and learn. They learn best through exploration and play.
One-year-olds are in a constant state of learning. They are constantly testing boundaries and exploring their environment. If they fall, they get back up and try again. If they get upset, they cry, and then they move on. They don’t dwell on the past or worry about the future. They live in the present moment.
One-year-olds also teach us to accept things as they are. They don’t try to change something that they don’t like. If they don’t want the food you’re trying to feed them, they’ll refuse to eat it. They won’t try to change it or make it better. They’ll move on to something else.
In a constantly changing world, one-year-olds teach us to be flexible and adaptable. They don’t get attached to things because they know that everything is temporary. If their favorite toy is taken away, they don’t cry or get angry. They find another toy to play with.
One-year-olds also teach us not to take things personally. If someone doesn’t want to play with them, they don’t get upset. They move on to someone else.
One-year-olds are a great reminder that the world is a beautiful place and that there is no need to worry about the small stuff. So the next time you find yourself stressing out about something, think of how a one-year-old would handle it and remember to move on and not worry about the small stuff.
They are somewhat like tiny stoic philosophers. They have a great deal to teach us about living our lives.
One-year-olds also teach us not to take things too seriously. They remind us that life is supposed to be fun. We should enjoy the moment and not worry about what may or may not happen in the future.
One-year-olds are always moving forward. They are constantly learning and growing. If we want to stay happy and stress-free, we should do the same. We should keep moving forward and not dwell on the past or worry about the future. We should live in the present moment and enjoy every minute of it.
One of the other things they teach us is to stop apologizing. We seem, as a society, to be obsessed with over-apologizing to people. We make mistakes; we apologize. We minorly inconvenience another person by asking them to hold an elevator; we apologize. Why?
What have we gained by continuing to be sorry for our daily actions? The mere fact we are living has become an apology.
It is time for us to take a cue from our tiny friends and cut out the unnecessary apologies. Let’s focus on living our lives without regret, knowing that we are doing our best. And, if someone else takes issue with that, let them deal with it.
So, next time you find yourself apologizing for something that doesn’t warrant an apology, think of how a one-year-old would handle it, and remember to move on. If your actions have caused severe dismay or harm, sure, apologize. But, for the little things, save your breath. Be the one-year-old that finds humor in every action. Enjoy life.
