What truly dictates the value of our “emotional currency” in a world that often demands we harden ourselves? How do we ensure we show up to life’s daily transactions as our absolute best selves? The secret doesn’t lie in complex adult strategies, but in a return to radical simplicity. This week, we are tuning into the Heart Centre—not the physical organ, but the core of our being—to explore the powerful life lessons taught to us by the most authentic teachers on earth: young children.
What affects the availability of our “emotional currency”? How do we ensure we transact in life as our best selves?
The answer lies in what I like to call the Heart Centre. I am not speaking about the physical organ that pumps blood, but the absolute core of our being—our innermost character, our baseline inclinations, and our deepest intentions. The state of this inner sanctuary dictates exactly how we show up in the world. When we choose to operate with an open heart, we become candid, unreserved, and frank. This state is characterized by genuine warmth and kindness toward others. It is a center rich with healthy emotional currency.
We see this wealth most clearly in children. They show up as their full, unedited selves, making them naturally available for deep, healthy relationships.
The Sunday School Classroom: A Lesson in Authenticity
My understanding of this unique openheartedness didn’t come from a textbook; it came from the front lines of teaching Sunday school to toddlers between the ages of three and six. Early on, I realized that if I wanted to be effective and have a genuine sense of “getting through” to them, I had to completely change my approach.
Children have an incredible, built-in radar. When I hadn’t prepared, they knew it instantly, and I couldn’t grab their attention. Likewise, if I spoke down to them or over-complicated the information, they tuned out. They demanded absolute authenticity.
Trying to have an effective conversation with a three-year-old can be a humbling experience. In moments when they didn’t respond, I felt a lingering sense of failure, haunted by their quiet non-responsiveness. It taught me that impacting children isn’t about waiting until they are twelve to communicate effectively. It is about meeting them exactly where they are—at whatever age—learning their world even as babies, and maintaining a consistent, integrated message.
Standing before them, I thought I was the one who was going to teach. Little did I know, they were the ones about to teach me invaluable life lessons.
The Foreign World of Simplicity
When those toddlers were non-responsive, it was a clear signal that I wasn’t communicating at their level. To reach them, I had to work harder. And in doing so, I learned the profound lesson of simplicity.
With young children, you must break everything down into a simple, clear message. Reflecting on this, I realized these kids were introducing me to a world of simplicity that felt entirely foreign to my adult mind. It brought a strange paradox to light: the more intellectually “knowledgeable” I thought I was, the more I realized I didn’t know anything at all. Seeking their kind of knowledge led me to the doorway of an unfamiliar place, and learning to navigate it was a massive internal exercise.
Children possess a beautifully simplistic attitude toward connection. Freely, they open themselves to you without hesitation. Never do they judge your clothing or try to assess which economic strata you belong to. Instead, they completely skip the transactional filters that older human beings use to guard the entry into their inner circles. For a child, it is purely love from one human being to another.
Spending just an hour and a half with them every fortnight was a deeply humbling experience because I was dipping into a remarkably rich well of love—a kind of love we rarely see in the adult world.
Pursuing a Childlike State of Being
It is no wonder Jesus stated that the kingdom of God is exemplified by little children. Experiencing their world birthed a new goal within me: the pursuit of childlike faith, childlike love, and childlike purity.
Kids are effortlessly present. Effortlessly, they enjoy the exact moment they are in, completely unburdened by anxiety about tomorrow or the negativity of yesterday. Forgiveness comes naturally to them as an inherent trait. Grudges have no place in their world; they just keep loving.
As adults, we easily become hardened by adversity and the exhausting grind of surviving life. The coping mechanisms we adapt to protect ourselves can inadvertently blind us to the reality around us—the very realities we need to be proactive about changing.
Speaking Truth to Power
I was deeply moved recently listening to Greta Thunberg. She stands as a modern testament to what happens when we refuse to let the world harden our hearts. She boldly challenges adults and global leaders for not doing enough to combat climate change, daring to speak truth to power.
Greta began learning about climate change around the age of eight. The more she learned, the more she realized that the adults in charge were failing. Because of her youthful, uncompromised clarity, she couldn’t just look away. She had to do something. Today, she walks her talk—even refusing to fly due to the high carbon emissions. She has championed massive global initiatives because she embodies that raw, unpretentious child’s eye view of right and wrong.
We often say, “The future belongs to the children,” but what are we actively doing to ensure we are leaving behind a world worthy of them?
Tending the Inner Garden
In the Bible, there is a sobering story of a king who is confronted by a wise man about the long-term consequences of his reckless actions. The wise man warns him that his choices will bring heavy, negative effects upon his descendants. (1 Kings 20:16-19)
The king’s remark is deeply disappointing. He essentially says the message is “good” simply because he won’t live to suffer for it. It is a heartbreakingly selfish response.
Before I judge that king, however, I have to look in the mirror. I have to be incredibly proactive to ensure that I never slip into that same survivalist state—a state where I only care about my immediate comfort and disregard future generations.
My Daily Practice: This is why I constantly challenge myself to tend to my “inner garden.” It requires the conscious practice of vetting all my thoughts, words, and actions.
Every day, I must ask myself: Are the things I am putting out into the world constructive for me, healthy for my immediate environment, and protective of the generations coming after me?
Let us carry a collective mandate to intentionally let the voices of children be heard, and in doing so, keep our own hearts wide open.
Guarding our inner world is not a one-time event, but a daily devotion to the future. If we want to avoid the trap of a selfish, survivalist mindset that ignores the footprint we leave behind, we must actively tend to our inner garden. By consistently vetting our thoughts, words, and actions, we ensure we are building a legacy of love rather than a fortress of coping mechanisms. Let us commit to tuning into the Heart Centre every single day, keeping our hearts intentionally open, unreserved, and ready to walk our talk for the generations to come.
✍🏽 About the Author
Esther Bobo is a wellness storyteller and advocate passionate about helping women heal, grow, and live authentically. Through her writing, she explores themes of self-awareness, emotional healing, and spiritual transformation — inviting readers to reconnect with their inner light and live from a place of truth