My friend Robert Hruzek has invited me to join in the February groupwrite project: What I Learned From…Children:

So the questions you have to ask yourself are this: Have you ever learned something from your children? From someone else’s children? When you were a child yourself? When a friend or acquaintance was a child? When you were standing next to a child?

The Lovely Bride and I do not have any children, but we do enjoy the company of the children in our families. One thing that always inspires me about children, mostly 7 to 9 years old, is that they do not yet believe that lots of things are impossible. Let me repeat that:

They do not yet believe that lots of things are impossible.

The key word there is “believe”.

By the time we (all us grown-ups) get into High School we have a pretty firm grasp on the things that we believe are true. (Read this post Linchpin Review and buy the book for more on that topic)

• If you don’t get good grades you can’t go to college.
• If you don’t go to college you will never get a good job.
• Marriage ends in divorce.
• You can make a million dollars on the Internet.
• You can’t make any money on the Internet.
• The people in Washington DC know what they are doing & it is best for all of us.

Sadly, some of the things that adults believe are patently untrue.

One of the things that Seth Godin writes about in his latest book, Linchpin, is that we do not have to believe these things anymore! We must regain our child-like ability to believe in the impossible, then go out and do something remarkable.

In the 2+ years that I have know Robert I have seen – with my own eyes – things that everyone told me were impossible. I have seen bloggers and podcasters become media enterprises. I have seen regular people with a good idea share it with other people and make something incredible (and some $$ too!).

I have regained my own ability to believe. I started my own business (In Context MultiMedia – develop your small business and yourself through Social Media Literacy & Productivity tools and tactics.) I spoke at a conference for people that wanted to learn about what I had to say.

I have re-learned not to believe that lots of things are impossible. (Oh, and I lost most of that fat belly too!)