A couple of years ago, I was reading a lot of personal development material.
Look, I wanted to educate myself on what this field (which is related to mine, but quite different from mine) has to offer.
I think it’s a mixed bag.
Often what you get is a lot of fluff and some known, somewhat fruitful information.
Still, wisdom can be found in this field if we seek it.
This became very clear to me when I began to feel disappointed that I had decided to read a couple of self-help books.
I felt I had gotten very little out of them.
But then. It hits me like a ton of bricks.
It was a phrase from Tony Robbins.
“Heal the boy. And the man will appear.”
THIS resonated with me. I discovered that there is incredible power in this idea.
That by healing your inner child you can truly unlock your potential as a mature individual.
As I reflected on this sentence, it became clear to me.
As we grow and socialize to become working members of society, much of our inner life and wonder fades from us.
It is as if our inner life and imagination are vivid and three dimensional in full color when we are children…
But they become flat and black and white when we grow up.
And our life is significantly impoverished as a result.
Goal.
Reflecting on this phrase helped me realize that we can (and in fact SHOULD) fight this trend!
We must heal and care for our inner child.
And as I reflected on this idea, I realized that we could go EVEN further.
You can’t just heal.
You can also FREE your inner child from the layers of oppression that society has placed on it!
And if you do…
Your inner world will LIGHT UP with color!
Because you will let the creativity and wonder of your inner child flow freely…
…with the knowledge, skills and powers you now have as an adult.
You can engage in activities that can help you get back in touch with your inner child.
One of my favorite examples is asking you the question:
“What is my element?”
The way I see it, we all grow up having certain affinities with certain environments. To certain aspects of the natural world.
They speak to our spirit.
They make our inner child dizzy with excitement.
It doesn’t have to be one of the four classics (earth, water, air, and fire).
It can be anything you can think of!
There is no need to limit your imagination!
Let it run free…
Like he did once.
When you were a child
And by doing so, you will let your inner child roam free.
Your element can be anything you want it to be.
light or thunder
Shadow or Darkness.
It may even be something more complex, something more nuanced.
like sun
Golden sky.
Gold star dust.
You can choose.
And another thing. It doesn’t have to be a once-and-for-all choice. Your element can evolve and grow with you.
Perhaps from Gravity to Space to Black Hole.
Think about which media characters with elemental associations you’ve been attracted to throughout your life (perhaps a fire-wielding wizard or Thor, the god of thunder).
Think about which places in nature you like to spend more time.
Think about which parts of nature you find most beautiful and fascinating.
These are all facts about how your spirit relates to the elements.
All this can help you find your element.
And therefore empower your inner child AND yourself to PLAY with it.
To have FUN with it.
Vividly visualize different ways you can cover your body with your element.
Imagine how you can handle it when you want to face a challenging obstacle.
Like gathering raging flames inside your fists and chest before giving a performance.
Or how you can use it to sharpen your focus when you really need to do something.
Like covering yourself with a bubble of water that isolates you but calms you down.
Play with your imagination.
Let your inner child roam free in the space of possibilities.
Like you probably did when you were younger.
Once you find your element and start playing with it in this way, you’ll be well on your way to filling your inner adult world with three-dimensional color.
You will find that you are happier and more cheerful.
You will feel that you have grown in a deeply personal way.
And you will find yourself more prepared than ever to accept whatever life throws your way.
I hope you enjoy finding your element! And once you do, let your inner child play freely with it!
I promise you, you’ll be glad you did.
I hope you enjoy growing through imagination and play!