The Wisdom of a 6 Year Old

In this 3 minute video (with over 7 million views on youtube), 6 year old Tiana talks to her divorced mom about how to build a friendship with her dad, and about what everyone needs to do (all the adults in the world), to stop being “monsters,” to make our planet a peaceful and happy place…

About her mom’s relationship with her dad:

“Mom, are you ready to be his friend? Try not to be that high up to be friends. I want everything to be low, okay? Just try your best. I want you and my dad… to be friends.

I just want everyone to be friends. And if I can be nice, I think all of us can be nice too. I’m not trying to be mean, I’m trying to do my best in my heart. Nothing else. I want you, mom, and my dad, everyone, to be friends.

I want everyone to be smiling. Not like being mad. I want everyone to smile. Especially when I see someone , I want them to smile…

And if that’s for my dad and you, mom, I think you can do it. I think you can settle your mean heights down a little, to short heights. Then it’s both.

I’m not trying to be mean, I’m not trying to be a bully. I’m trying to be steady, on the floor, not way down, straight [ground]. On the middle, where my heart is…”

At this point she begins to expand on her thoughts, speaking from her heart out to the whole world, speaking to all of us…

“My heart, it’s something. Everyone else’s heart is something too. And if we live in a world where everyone is being mean, everyone’s gonna be a monster and there’s [no] future.

What if there’s just a little bit of persons, we would eat them. No one will ever be here. Only the monsters, in our place. We need everyone to be a [new] person. Everyone. Including me, and my mom, everyone.

I just want everything to be settled down. Nothing else. I just want everything to be good as possible. Nothing else.”

Tiana’s simple heartfelt words echo the core wisdom of the world’s great religions, mythic stories and spiritual teachers down through the ages, demonstrating her understanding of what psychologists now call social and emotional intelligence.

“What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. This is the whole Torah, all the rest is commentary.” ~Jewish teaching

To treat others the way we would like to be treated, to be patient, respectful, forgiving and kind. This is a root teaching that all religious traditions share. Easy to understand, yet quite challenging to apply consistently, to put into practice.

As animals, our brains are wired instinctively, to defend and attack when we feel threatened, to raise ourselves above “enemies,” to force their submission and put others down. This has been the way of warrior civilizations for thousands of years.

But there is another way. The only remedy for endless wars and battles (in our homes, marriages and among nations) is to to keep our hearts open, stay centered, compassionate, mindful and grounded.

To listen to the wisdom of our hearts, to see others as potential friends and equals. Keeping in mind how fear leads to  anger and hatred, which can turn any one of us into a monster.

~ Christopher Chase, Tao & Zen ~

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