Gains & Losses

It's interesting what you lose and gain at every major step in life.

Think about it. What do you lose when you're born? When you learn to crawl? Walk? Talk? Ride a bike? It's easy to think about what you gain (life, freedom, greater mobility, explicitly expressing your feelings, independence) but what about what you lose?

How about a quiet, warm comfortable environment where every need is met continuously. Someone to carry you everywhere you go. The same but to a greater degree. The simplicity of communication through smiles, gurgles and coos. The innocence that comes with a lack of responsibility.

The exercise we went through was to show us that each major step in life has a gain or loss associated with it and kids (and adults) can choose to focus on either the gain or loss. Some are easy to see and others are not but to try and see both sides helps you determine the benefit of what just happened. Or gives you the drive to do something about it.

It sounds weird to do an exercise like this but it really was an eye-opener.