I walked into the room and she had her head dug inside a pile of pillows. My wife and son were also there. It was a funny scene. I asked my wife what is Meisha doing? It seems she had told a lie, and had been caught red handed by her mother. She had been gently reprimanded. Now, she was embarrassed and was hiding her face!

Wow! Even a four year old feels ashamed when they make a mistake! Meisha understood her mistake and found it difficult to face her mother. It was a very gentle reminder that it’s not good thing to tell a lie. I am amazed by the way our brain is wired to feel shame.

I keep wondering why some of my young friends suddenly stop meeting me. They see me as a friendly mentor. When we meet, they end up taking some decisions - exercise, studies, relationships, career, or otherwise. They start. Probably things go well for a few weeks. Sometimes, the momentum breaks. Sometimes, they give up. Many times, they hesitate to come back and meet me. Some times, they completely vanish! Now I understand. It is difficult for me to face upto to people I love and respect, when I feel I have disappointed them. It is such a basic emotion, even a four year old feels it!

But, I am no longer a four year old. I need to face it, move on, and learn from my mistakes. I need to face the consequences and get ready for the next step. In fact, four year olds do this really well. Within a few minutes, my daughter Meisha had dealt with her feeling of shame, and was back to her bouncy self. Seems like a like skill worth re-learning!