Find Your Inner Child

Every single person has the "inner child" archetype embedded within the soul. Sometimes it can be hard to access that child's voice, feelings, emotions, and playfulness as an adult, especially when life feels so serious. Our culture and society reinforce seriousness within adult-ing. And, due to man-made inventions such as time, schedules, routines, and calendars I've even witnessed children be forced into more serious situations and environments.

Sit back for a moment and recall a recent experience you had with a child that allowed you to access a silly, playful, imaginative part of you. Perhaps you got to play a game, laugh uncontrollably, or let your inner goofball shine that gave you a glimpse of that little child within you. I firmly believe that life is a lot better and easier the more we can let that inner child loose!

Personally, I do not have kids. That subject can likely be its own blog… but over the last five weeks I've been visiting friends and family around the Midwest getting to live with, play with, and spend time with a LOT of children. These kids have varied from 3 weeks old to 12 years old and I have learned so much through this particular period of my travels, which I've affectionately been calling #kidtour2024.

As I venture back into adult-land, here are my three biggest takeaways:

Incorporate Imagination | "The ability of the mind to be creative or resourceful"

Children see the world through such an innocent pair of eyes - anything can be everything. They aren't viewing the world like you and I are, they are able to see things that aren't really there, interpret situations with incredibly different approaches, and access parts of their brain that we deny. But, what if as adults we can be just as imaginative? What if we can also see a playground as a massive pirate ship or make up a silly song if we find a piece of trash on the ground or invent some crazy scenario just from finding an empty box? All of these happened during kid tour!

Accessing imagination, which is ultimately immense creativity, means our brains have to be slowed down. Once our brains start racing, thinking of the past or future, building to-do lists, stressing out about something, or being occupied with menial tasks it is nearly impossible to access creativity. If you've observed children, they are so good at staying incredibly present and they shouldn't have anything to worry about. Therefore, in order to incorporate imagination more often in our daily life, we need to slow down, stay present, drop the fears and worries, and really immerse ourselves in the current environment.

Take a step back, observe your surroundings, and think of one imaginative thought. Can an object turn into something else? Can you make up a song or rhyme about what you're doing? Can you approach a situation with more imagination?

Accept Authenticity | "The quality of being genuine"

One of the best gifts children give adults is a pure example of rich authenticity. Children do not care what people think of them or worry about their reputation. They exist as pure forms of self. In my wonderful experience with such magnificent children, I watched them get ready for school, interact with grownups, and play with groups of other kids. Never did I witness a child worry about what someone else thought of them.

My best friend's 10-year old daughter said "time for school… I've got to put on my school outfit." As she hooked a tail to the back of her pants and put on a fox mask. I was so impressed by this act. In that small moment, she clearly showed me that she does not care what others think of her fashion choices, she isn't worried that she'll get made fun of for expressing herself, and she's certainly not concerned about what other kids wear. Can we channel that originality in our own lives? What have you been afraid to wear, say, do, or look like? If there's a time that you've changed your outfit or held back your voice because you are afraid of being judged or what others may think of you, I'm now giving you permission to simply not care.

Your inner child wants to express themself, channel the little boy or little girl by being as true and real as you can be. It's helpful to use the kids around you to inspire you to just be your actual self - your you-iest you!

Seize Silliness | "A lack of common sense or judgment; foolishness"

This definition sounds a little harsh, in my opinion. My observations of silliness were raw laughter, playfulness, and fun! Children are so good at being silly, throwing their heads back in laughter, and being incredibly light-hearted. I was so grateful to meet friends at a playground, and my college buddy pushed me and his son on the merry-go-round. It was going so fast, and I was falling off the merry-go-round, slipping through the netting, laughing HYSTERICALLY. That's when I realized that incorporating more silliness throughout the day increases overall happiness and makes it easier to stay present.

Has there been a time recently where you've denied yourself the innate sense to be silly? Have you wanted to say something playful or laugh out loud but pulled yourself back? Life is too short to deny ourselves playfulness. I hope you can find more opportunities throughout your day to embrace your shiny silly side and let go of the seriousness that plagues us all.

"The child archetype is a symbolic representation of our true self, which is often buried beneath the layers of our conscious mind and social conditioning. By connecting with our inner child, we can rediscover our authentic selves and develop a greater understanding of our emotional needs, desires, and motivations." - Learn more HERE

I encourage all of us to observe children (our own, friends', family members’, etc.) and notice ways we can let our inner child express themself more often. Rather than denying our imaginative authentic silly self can we embrace that part of us? Personally, I'd much rather live in a playful, fun, creative society that encourages everyone to be authentic than one ruled by schedules, seriousness, and self-consciousness.