Finding the child within

Inside every one of us is a child – an innocent, powerful, brave, fresh, alive human being. It is just that we have forgotten that part of ourselves.
We have covered ourselves in layers in an effort to protect ourselves. We have masked our true selves in order to fit in. We have been judged and we have deemed ourselves not worthy. In return, we have judged others. Each judgment adding to the buffers we have put in place. As we drop judgment, we start to lose some of those layers and we find others may shed a few when around us.
Every child knows and accepts their imperfections. They do not expect to get everything right. Mistakes don’t stop them. It is when we give up playing as a viable way to live our lives that mistakes lose their gentle teacher status. It is difficult to make a mistake when we are playing, when we are focused on having fun and enjoying ourselves. With this attitude, ‘mistakes’ simply point us in a different direction and we move on without a second thought.
The child in us is willing to accept the imperfections in others. They love their parents, even when their parents seem unlovable. They love their friends and give them every benefit of every doubt. They don’t demand certain standards are met before proceeding with the relationship.
Speaking truth comes naturally to the child in us. They don’t stop and wonder how the other person will respond or what the consequences may be. They may not have full grasp of every concept, but they don’t let that stop them from knowing what they know about things. Are they wrong in their knowing? Does it matter? Who says so?
Children are incredibly resilient. They bounce back in no time. They don’t hold on to things that make them unhappy. They are able to leave what happened where it happened. They are often bewildered when grown-ups keep bringing stuff up.
Dreaming is still a valid way to spend your time when you are a child. Children play make-believe, dress-ups, draw crazy pictures, read incredible stories and are not limited by the realism of the adult world. They don’t know they ‘can’t’ or ‘won’t’ or that it’s ‘impossible’. They don’t care.
Inside you there is a child who can see how amazing the world we live in is, how incredible we are, the perfection and the beauty in it all. They are not aware of any plot to make their life harder. They see only the support and love offered.
Take some time to get to know the child in you, the one that wakes up in the morning with the ‘yes’ attitude; the one who remembers life is about playing, following your passion, not working; the part of you that understands and accepts human weakness and feels no need to use it against anyone; the child in you that knows the truth and is willing to speak it; the part that knows no limits or boundaries to what is possible; the bit that believes they are truly part of a perfect world.
The child in me likes to come out to laugh, dance and sing, play outside, be in my body, dream about nothing in particular, explore the world, try new things, play in the bathtub, play with others (especially children), make pretty things, go on adventures, eat yummy food… simple things really. In fact the child in me can come out when I’m doing anything if I remember to shed those accumulated layers and look at the world through those innocent eyes.
Step lightly – meet the child in you.