June 16, 2023

The first is innocence, the second is open-mindedness, the third is imagination, the fourth is confidence, the fifth is passion for life, the sixth is compassion for life, the seventh is courage.

These are the gifts that the world tries to steal from every child, replacing them with seven inferior traits such as guilt, narrow-mindedness, conformity, doubt, apathy, insensitivity, and fear.

I discovered the dark side of humanity as a child when I saw a baby seal clubbed for the first time. But I also had the joy of seeing the whales and swimming amongst the beavers, dolphins, seals and fish.

My childhood gave me a lifelong love of other creatures and nature, and a lifetime passion to defend and protect. It also gave me a glimpse of things I didn’t want any part of. 

When I was a kid I thought to myself that I would stop the slaughter of seals and protect wild animals.

My childhood experiences shaped my evolution as an adult, and I never lost that innocence, I kept an open mind, nourished my imagination, and preserved my confidence, passion, compassion, and strengthened my courage.

The books I read, the birds I marveled at, the animals I saw, the great teachers I listened to and the love that constantly filled my heart, have kept me on the path of compassion.

Every child has the potential for greatness, and that greatness can be nurtured simply by not giving up the seven positive virtues to replace them with the seven negative traits.

A child’s dreams can come true if he/she does not lose the seven natural gifts he/she receives at birth. The secret is simple. Follow your heart, and remember your heart is never wrong.

Photo: Our son Murtagh. Photo by Yana Watson