Be Like a Kid
When we’re young, our brains feel like sponges absorbing up everything around us. Curiosity is our default mode. We climb, explore, ask endless questions, take things apart just to see how they work.
But as we grow up, that spark fades. School ends, routines take over, responsibilities pile up, and suddenly curiosity isn’t our priority anymore. We become efficient. Predictable. Robotic. Work, gym, sleep… repeat.
Somewhere along the way, we lose the wonder.
When I Lost Mine
As a kid, I was curious about everything. I played sports, climbed trees, and spent hours outdoors. But I also had a different obsession: breaking toys apart. I’d pull out tiny motors and lights, hook them up to batteries, and wonder at how they worked.
But adulthood changed things.
When I moved to the U.S., I shifted from chasing my dream of becoming a professional football (soccer) player to working a 9-to-5. My adventurous spirit diminished. Life became routine. Social media numbed me even more. I wasn’t curious, I was just functioning.
It felt like a small death: losing that part of me that once came alive at every new discovery.
Reigniting the Spark
Then one day, I stumbled on CrunchLabs, a subscription box by a Youtuber I admire, Mark Rober. Each box is like Lego but for engineering: hands-on projects that teach mechanics while you build something from scratch.
The first time I opened one, I felt like a kid again. That same thrill of learning and creating. I’ve built three so far, and every project feels like plugging my brain back into curiosity mode.
It’s not about becoming a mechanical engineer, it’s about keeping my mind alive. Using my hands. Taking breaks from screens. Remembering what it feels like to be fully present in making something new.
Why It Matters
I know I’m not the only one who’s lost their spark. Most of us trade curiosity for efficiency. Work and responsibilities drain our time, and whatever’s left gets swallowed by scrolling.
The system we live in doesn’t encourage curiosity, it rewards predictability. Study, work, marry, have kids. And while there’s nothing wrong with that path, it rarely leaves space for the kind of wonder we had as kids.
But here’s the truth: curiosity is what keeps us growing. Without it, we stagnate.
A Reminder
I don’t want to live like a robot. I want to live like a kid again—curious, playful, unafraid to try. And maybe you do too.
Because the happiest version of us is often the kid we once were.
This really hits home! The part about losing that curiosity spark as you transition into adulthood is so relatable. We go from constantly asking why to just accepting things as they are. What I love about Mark Rober's approach with CrunchLabs is that he's not just teaching engineering principles, he's helping people reconnect with that childlike wonder of taking things apart and figuring out how they work. That's the stuff that makes us feel alive, not scrolling through endless feeds or following the same routin every day. Your point about the system rewarding predictability over curiosity is spot on. We're basically conditioned to stop asking questions and just follow the preset path. But those hands on projects you described sound like the perfect antidote to that numb feeling. It's cool that you're making space for that kind of play and eksploration in your life again.
I love this topic! We spend our childhood waiting to grow up and when we do, we realize just how much it sucks. I think the best thing we can do as adults is simply play and be silly. Run around without a care in the world. It really is the only thing that makes us feel alive.