There's Always Time to Build a Fort,

So recently, I went on the hunt for a very popular book by the ever fabulous Rainn Wilson.  And finally, after checking four websites and two bookstores, I got my hands on SoulPancake, a book chock full of 'life's biggest questions'.  So, for a little while anyway, I decided to place some of my answers to the many questions that are stuffed in this book... starting with this one.

List five things you can learn from a five-year-old.

Whether you like kids or not, it's pretty obvious that being around them makes you learn a few things.  I have three nieces, one's almost 11, one's 9, and one's 5 (I think...), and every time I see them, they always teach me something.  It must be their innocence; the only things they have to worry about are whether it'll be too cold for recess and what Mom is cooking for dinner.  And though the majority of the traffic on my blog is adults and older teenagers, I think we can all agree that sometimes, going back to that mindset of 'hakuna matata' is pretty liberating and relaxing for the mind.  It's time we take a break from all the craziness of adulthood for a few minutes and just think:  what can I do to live a happier life?  I asked myself this exact thing earlier today and this is what I thought of:

1. Be spontaneous.  Live like every day is your birthday.  Take a different route to work.  Try different, exotic foods.  Go to a coffee shop you don't go to that often... heck, my Starbucks worshippers should try sitting in a Dunkin Donuts for a day.  Go watch a movie by yourself or gather up a group of friends and go on a mini adventure.  Build a blanket fort in your room and read books under it, or... I don't know, jump off a bridge and into a lake.  But a small bridge, because I love you too much for you to jump off a big bridge and hurt yourself.  Do things that you'll look back on and, whether they be exciting or not, will be worth telling a story when you're older... even if it is stepping out of your comfort zone and sitting in a Dunkin Donuts.
2. Do your own thing and always have the courage to be yourself.  Don't worry if people aren't into it!  I've learned from a real young age that you cannot impress everyone.  Not everyone is going to like shonin anime, share a matching 'Troy and Abed in the Morning' mug with you, understand your Doctor Who references, rap about pizza queens, or gawk at the perfection that is the cast of Teen Wolf's abs (confession... I'm talking about me).  Don't let other people stop you from liking things!  If you wanna dye your hair blue one day and wear a t-shirt plastered with cats, you go for it.
3. Be open about your feelings.  Even if it has to resort to miming them.  It's important to talk and communicate with those you care about.  When you keep all that junk inside, you just turn into this ugly, moldy pizza left in the fridge for a few weeks.  Now who wants to eat a moldy pizza?  People will still tolerate and love you, because you're pizza, but they definitely won't try to take a bite out of you!  You should strive to be a happy, fresh pizza!  Everyone loves a fresh pizza!
4. Dance like people are watching.  You deserve an audience.  And never, EVER go to a wedding without a few good moves up your sleeve.
5. Be a star.  Well...

And these aren't all the things we've learned from kids.  There's so many, I can't even count.  So I guess that's something I think you should ponder on today.  What can I learn from the younger generation that'll help me live a happier life?  Sometimes, it takes getting down to a child's level to see the simplicity of life.  We just have to take that initiative to get down there.