Let Out That Inner Child — It Has the Power to Heal
In the race of growing up, we bury our inner child. Now is the time to release it.
On Friday, I went to the beach for a walk. The sun had just set. The tide was low, so there was a lot of space to walk about freely. The wind blowing in my hair, the wet sand beneath my feet, the sound of the waves makes me feel alive. Like being human seems worth it as you get to experience the marvels of nature.
As I was walking, I spotted what happiness looks like.
There was a tiny little boy. About one-and-a-half to two-years of age. He was holding on to his mom’s fingers and was going berserk every time the waves would touch his feet. He kept jumping with joy and laughing while looking up at his mom with pure innocence. It was like he tasted, after ages, what true freedom felt like. Then, I turned to my left and saw the little boy’s dad, who was silently taking in this image of his family. I looked into his eyes. They were glistening, and I don’t know why that got me emotional.
As I walked past that scene, I told myself on repeat: “Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry.”
That moment was overwhelming.
I went on further and saw two little girls in adorable mini skirts and tops. Their parents were having a serious conversation about something, but I was curiously observing the girls. I laughed, looking at the crazy fun the girls were having. Jumping, laughing, enjoying the vast open space of nature without caring a damn for what their parents were arguing about, and that was somehow calming.
Children, in their innocent ways, can teach you so much. They are a reminder that ‘stop taking life so seriously.’ They show you how you can live in the moment and be unaffected by what is happening around you, and how to just simply ‘be’.
We crib so much about life. We want to escape the suffocation of relationships, the dissatisfaction of the things we don’t have, the troubles with our jobs and countless other problems. We keep thinking about them on a loop without realising the hidden joys that surround us.
You cannot be happy all the time. Sometimes it gets a bit too much to keep reading posts about staying happy all the time. No one can be. There are times when you want to scream into your pillow to release pent up frustration, and that is normal. It is a healthy way to release anger, to be honest rather than causing harm to yourself and others.
But those kids taught me so much. They taught me that you must stop thinking about what tasks are lined up ahead when you have the opportunity to enjoy life. For instance, when we are having a nice meal, avoid thinking about doing the dishes later, or when we are reading, stop thinking about the due date to pay the bills.
We are constantly thinking about the next task lined up. STOP. Even while reading this, you must be thinking about the call you need to make or that email you must send. Give your mind a break. Life goes on even if that task is done or not.
The sun will rise and set. As the night was setting in and I made my way home, I was thinking about how adulthood robbed us of the innocence we had when we were kids. We buried that innocence because life tells you to grow up. But why should we lose it in the first place?
We are fearless when we are kids. Fear sets in as we grow up, as we feel our every move is judged. If we don’t perform in our academics and jobs, how will we be a part of society? And in the process of becoming a rational member of the community, that innocence is shut and buried in some compartment of the mind.
We now spend so much time at home and with ourselves that makes it a perfect opportunity to get that innocence out in the open. Start doing those things that you truly enjoyed as a child. (I loved reading Harry Potter and Nancy Drew as a child, and I think it’s time that I reread them). If you would paint, draw, colour, make candles, play music, play the guitar or any other instrument, do it. Don’t bother about what your rational mind tells you at that time.
The adult mind will constantly tell you, ‘don’t waste your time, pay that bill. You need to clean the closet, wash the dishes, send an email.’
Tell that mind to shut up.
Revisit that inner child in you, even if that is for one hour or thirty minutes. We all need some healing occasionally, and exploring that innocent side, I think, is an excellent place to start. What about you?
