Is your inner child happy?
When I think back to myself as a little girl, I wanted my future self to have peace and happiness.
But as I grew up, I was so afraid of everything. My anxiety took over and controlled my life and my choices. There was a fear of getting hurt, being judged, looking different, making a mistake, and so on.
At some point we stop listening to the inner child and we focus on the external influences such as society and the media. The next thing we know, we are just going through the motions in life without much creativity, fun, adventure, self-love, intuition and dreams.
When we stop chasing our dreams, the child within us grieves.
Whether you have your own children or not, imagine a field full of 5-year olds. These children are all different sizes, shapes, skin colors, abilities, talents, etc.
Could you point to one child and tell them they don't deserve to reach for their dreams?
Probably not.
I would hope we would tell them to never give up on their dreams.
Now try telling yourself that you are no different. You are capable of anything you put your mind to no matter your age, sex, size, experiences...
What comes up for you? Is there resistance? What do you think you really deserve in this moment? What did you need most as a child? How can you give yourself that today?
“Most survivors grew up too fast. Their vulnerable child-selves got lost in the need to protect and deaden themselves. Reclaiming the inner child is part of the healing process. Often the inner child holds information and feelings for the adult. Some of these feelings are painful; others are actually fun. The child holds the playfulness and innocence the adult has had to bury.” ~Laura Davis
Here are a few others ways that I have embraced my inner child to find that peace and happiness I desired back then:
Whether you love to cook, write, dance, paint, travel, DIY tasks, knit, make time for more of it. Schedule it in your calendar, even if it's 5 minutes a day.
Play with kids. There is nothing like playing a game or doing an art project with kids that reminds you of your inner child's joy, innocence and creativity.
Talk to your inner child. Find a photo of you as a child, preferably under 10 years old. Ask him/her these questions: -What makes you happiest? -Who do you love to be around? -Where do you love to go? -What do you want to be when you grow up?
Re-evaluate. You may be surprised at what you begin to notice when you put this into focus. There may be some changes you need to make like booking a vacation, making new friends, painting your bedroom or starting a business. You don't need to change it all right now. Baby steps are fine, but tap into your inner child and your intuition more often to make shifts to fulfill your dreams in this lifetime.
I am thrilled to be trained in a form of transformational coaching that allows me to tap into the inner child so my clients can face fears, heal their past and reach their dreams.
But now it's your turn. What does your inner child want you to be focusing on in 2018? I'd love to hear from you! Comment below with how this resonated with you.
And as you can see by my childhood photo, I have always loved to dance. Even though I was so shy and fearful, I still went to dance class and performed. When I dance now, I am totally present and feel happy. I try to remind myself to turn on music or a dance video and shake things off more often.
xoxo,
Shayna
P.S.
If your inner child wants you to launch or grow your passion in 2018, there's still time to apply for my Fearful to Hopeful Program! Head on over to read more + apply at www.shaynamahoney.com/hopeful
