A Seven-Year-Old’s Wisdom: What Looks Scary Isn’t Always Painful

Last week, my 7-year-old daughter injured her head while running around. Thankfully, it turned out to be non-serious. But as a parent, every time I looked at the wound, my heart sank. I kept thinking about how painful it must be for her.

At one point,

I said, “It must hurt a lot.”

She looked at me, noticed the sadness on my face, and replied:

“Papa, it looks scary because you can only see it. It is not as painful for me.”

Her response stopped me in my tracks. In that one moment, she taught me three powerful lessons.

Empathy is natural when we stay connected to our feelings

Even at such a young age, she was aware of my emotions and wanted to comfort me. Children often feel deeply and respond honestly, and there is so much we can learn from that.

Things often look scarier from the outside

How many times do we avoid taking action because we imagine the worst possible outcome? We create stories in our minds that are far bigger and more painful than reality.

But once we take action, we often realize

“This isn’t as bad as I thought.”

Comparison is incomplete information

Just like I looked at her wound and imagined pain she wasn’t actually experiencing, we look at others and imagine lives that are easier, smoother, or more successful than our own.

We rarely see the unseen part of their journey: their struggles, sacrifices, fears, failures.

Someone once told me:

“Don’t compare your internal to someone’s external.”

It’s stuck with me ever since.

Her simple comment reminded me that so much of what we fear, assume, or compare is based on a limited perspective.

Does this resonate with you?

I would love to hear your thoughts.