What does it mean to be a kid at heart?

Being a kid at heart basically means you haven’t been completely steamrolled by life yet. You still have a few brain cells left that remember joy before it got replaced by bills, deadlines, and people who use “circle back” unironically. It’s not about immaturity—it’s about survival. Because somewhere along the way, the world decided wonder was inefficient and replaced it with productivity apps.

As a kid, I thought adults had it figured out. They drove cars, bought houses, and ate dessert whenever they wanted. Then I became one and realized “figured out” actually means tired, broke, and googling ‘how to fix dishwasher leak at 2 a.m.’ Being a kid at heart is the last defense against becoming a spreadsheet with a pulse.

Kids don’t filter joy. They don’t schedule “self-care” or read 400-word think pieces about burnout—they just run, laugh, build forts, and believe cardboard boxes can be spaceships. Now? Adults call it “escapism” and charge $299 for a mindfulness retreat. The irony’s thick enough to choke on.

Being a kid at heart means not surrendering your curiosity to the cult of cynicism. It’s the part of you that still gets irrationally excited about stupid stuff—like bubble wrap, or the smell of rain, or that one guy who built a house out of beer cans. It’s not about nostalgia, it’s about defiance. The world tells you to grow up; you tell it to grow interesting.

Maybe that’s what scares people. Being a kid at heart is unpredictable. It questions everything, it plays when it’s supposed to sit quietly, it still believes that magic is just science we don’t understand yet. It’s the last unmarketable thing in existence. You can’t monetize wonder, so the system teaches you to outgrow it.

I’m not saying quit your job and go finger-paint in the park (unless that’s your thing). I’m saying stop apologizing for still feeling awe. You can pay rent and still chase clouds. You can have a 401k and still laugh until soda shoots out of your nose. You can exist in this collapsing adult ecosystem and still be the kind of idiot who finds joy in the absurd.

Because when it’s all said and done, being a kid at heart just means you haven’t given up on the idea that life should still be fun sometimes. You still believe in color. And that’s enough.