Do you still remember the good old days? I mean building sandcastles at the beach. I’d build for hours, totally absorbed, having the time of my life. Do you remember what the goal was back then? Exactly: building the sandcastle. Not owning it, managing it, or making it immortal for future generations. It was purely about the joy of building.
And today? It’s often just about reaching the actual goal as fast as possible. If only the annoying path to it didn’t get in the way … So where – and when – on your journey did you lose your inner child?
Let’s take a closer look. A child builds a sandcastle. And in the end, they often destroy it themselves. Why? The goal was already achieved. Building was the goal. But what do some parents do then (especially if they helped build it)? “No, you don’t do that. We spent so long building this – we’re not going to tear it down now …” What kind of hope lies in that statement? That it will stand there forever? That it will win awards for beauty? That people will celebrate the builders for their achievement? Why must the sandcastle stay standing?
Because most people want to show what they have. That’s how they define themselves.
You are what you have. And surely, you don’t work for hours just to end up with nothing. So the sandcastle stays right where it is, my child …
Can we start again to focus on the joy of the journey toward a goal – and really feel it?
I’m reminded of Mark 10:15 from the Bible: “Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” If we truly understand this metaphor, it tells us exactly that. Let’s say the “Kingdom of God” is a symbol for your personal goals and desires. You want to reach them, right? How do you get there? Hard work? Struggle? Frustration? That’s not what it says. Let me rephrase it a little:
“Anyone who does not approach their goals and dreams like a child will never reach them.”
So if you don’t enjoy the journey toward your goal and don’t savor every second of “playing,” you won’t “enter.”
“But Norman, you can reach your goals without fun or joy – through hard work, sweat, blood, and tears.” Absolutely true. But that also means you’ll suffer on your long path to your goal like a dog in the sun at 40 degrees. For what? For that brief moment of happiness when you finally reach the goal? The short joy of the new car, the new job, the new watch … Two weeks later, the “new” already feels normal. And off you go chasing the next goal.
The road there is much longer than the joy of having achieved it. If you’re okay suffering 95% of the time just to feel 5% joy – go right ahead. But if you’d like to reverse that, maybe it’s time to look through a child’s eyes again, don’t you think? “Anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”
When was the last time you built something just for the sake of building it – not to own it?
And what would be a “sandcastle moment” in your business life?
Enjoy reflecting on that – and have a great week.
