What a Baby Taught Me About Life
I recently went up to Sydney for the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia (MBFWA) as Akagu was a sponsor for one of our designer’s shows. That was extremely exciting, but what was also exciting was the fact that I was able to stay with my friend’s young family.
My friend has lived interstate over the past few years due to his work as a civil engineer, and just over six months ago, became a father for the first time. It was really great to catch up with him and his wife, and get acquainted with his son, Lachlan.
It’s safe to say that on our stay, I was able to get some training in on basic baby duties such as pushing the pram, playing with toys, inventing weird characters for entertainment purposes, and holding the baby (which would have raised the heart rate of both parents).
What I learnt about Lachlan was that he was a ridiculously cute and handsome baby, playful, but extremely happy, and well-mannered. He rarely cried and when he did, it sounded more like a very considerate, low volume, low pitched cry.
When I asked my friend if he felt any different now as a father, he thought about it for a while before admitting that he just felt more tired. Whilst the answer was understated to say the least, I was careful to observe how he was with Lachlan, and though obviously tired, seemed a lot more tranquil, at ease, and happier.
Whilst eating dinner one night, the couple asked me if seeing Lachlan had changed my thoughts on having a baby. I had to think about it a little, and could only mutter a forced, “Not really”. It was difficult to say, but Lachlan did change my thoughts, just in a way I didn’t expect.
Seeing Lachlan so pure and joyful inspired me in a way unimaginable. Here’s what he inadvertently taught me.
We are custodians of life
I immediately realised that I was in an incredibly privileged position, at a prime age and in a fantastic situation to pursue what I wanted. With that power comes great responsibility (thanks Spiderman), because everything has a consequence.
For those that are aged 20–40, this is the best time to prove that you can create a positive impact on this world — the excuses are very limited in this age-group. So for myself, what am I doing everyday to make an impact? How does Lachlan benefit from my legacy?
“The significance of our lives and our fragile realm derives from our own wisdom and courage. We are the custodians of life’s meaning.” — Carl Sagan
Use your best energy on the most important things
This sounds like a no-brainer but how many of us are stuck wasting our ‘good energy’ on things that aren’t important to us? Good energy is the energy we have when we are most active, typically 9–5. I’ve been guilty of coming home late, depleted of my good energy so only bad energy was left for my family or friends.
With a baby, you can’t afford to only have bad energy. You need to use your good energy in order to properly care for them. Prioritisation of energy becomes focused and I could see that in the care of Lachlan, my friend, who was a serial workaholic, even comes home earlier now.
Sounds a bit morbid, but one day we won’t have any energy left, good or bad. So use it wisely.
A little silliness in life brightens up your day
Playing with Lachlan is pure joy. It really is. He doesn’t care about who you are, what you do, what you’re worth, or whether you had a crap day or not. He just wants you to play with him. And for myself, all I need to think about is how silly I can be.
The simplicity is where a lot of the joy is derived. Essentially just pure human interaction without the ugly bits that we seem to like to create for ourselves through our ego.
People generally take themselves too seriously, and maybe if everyone remembered to be silly once and awhile, the world would be a happier place. To start, find a source of happiness for yourself and don’t forget to regularly tap into it!
We have the power
Maybe I’m getting a little older, but spending time with Lachlan really was a blessing. The exciting and perhaps scary thing is, when I look at Lachlan, I’m looking at the future. What future will Lachlan see?
When Elon Musk was asked why he was building so many monumental businesses, his reply was simply, “I’m not trying to be anyone’s saviour. I’m just trying to think of the future and not be sad.”
I guess in the end, there is a responsibility on us to make sure that we leave the world a better place than when we entered.
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