On the first day of on-campus instruction at Heliotrope Avenue Elementary, staff member Sylvia Vasquez was conducting routine health checks. She asked each student how they were feeling, expecting to hear “healthy” or “sick.” Instead, almost every child responded with one simple word: “Excited.”
When was the last time you heard an adult say that? When someone reminds us that tomorrow is Monday, we don’t typically respond with joy or enthusiasm. But maybe we should. Life is short, and there are no guarantees. Each day really is a gift — and we forget that.
As children, we have a natural excitement about the world. We learn rapidly, explore constantly, and view challenges as adventures. But as we get older, we start to lose that mindset. Why?
Part of it is biology. We are genetically wired to learn quickly when we’re young. As we age, learning requires more effort. It no longer comes naturally — it becomes a choice. And at the same time, responsibilities pile up. We shift from growing to simply surviving. We tell ourselves we don’t have the energy to learn, to try, or to care as deeply as we once did.
But the truth is, we don’t need more energy — we just need consistent focus.
Make it your goal to learn a little more every day. Learning is an expression of gratitude. It tells the world, I don’t take this life for granted. As Bob Dylan famously said, “He not busy being born is busy dying.”
Life is a gift. If we aren’t learning, we aren’t fully living. Let’s not give up the excitement, curiosity, and enthusiasm that once came naturally to us. We can choose to bring it back — starting today.