One of my favorite quotes is from Pablo Picasso, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” It rings true on so many levels and for many things other than becoming “an artist.” Simply replace the words “an artist” with “confident,” “brave,” “strong,” or “playful” and it’s easy to see how we lose our resilience as we mature.
That’s not to say all is lost! We all have an inner child and can access it anytime we want, it’s just choosing (and remembering!) to do it every now and again.
The first step is watching this adorable clip of a baby elephant frolicking in the water and mud. How can you not fall in love? This is such an adorable example of remembering to play every once in a while and be grateful for the small things in life. His name is Navann and he’s a rescue at the Elephant Nature Park in Mae Tang, Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. He’s seen here with his mom and he already can’t contain his excitement! Navann is running faster and ahead of his mother, eager to see what’s around the corner. He’s small in comparison, and has such an insatiable curiosity!
Navann’s childlike abandon is obvious. He’s keen to explore and uncover whatever life has to offer as he bolts ahead, down the road headed to the mud bath. Not going to lie, if I were an elephant, I’d be doing the same. There’s nothing more fun and cooling than rolling around and getting dirty in a pit of mud! And this little guy knows it, he’s right up in there, splashing and jumping and getting up to his eyeballs in all the messy fun!
It’s so sweet to watch this little baby enjoy himself. Navann’s ears are flapping away, his tail is wagging and he can’t do anything for too long without getting distracted by the next fun thing to do! He’s even smacking his trunk off the water’s surface, making little splashes!
Next stop, the river! Navann comes barrelling down the hill and straight into the water, wasting no time at all. He’s got his mom and nanny, and all seems good in the world. He’s happy and loving life, playing in the water with his trunk splashing around. I’d chalk this up as a great day had by all!
Click below to watch little (for an elephant!) Navann soak up all the fun in the sun!
