Imagine meeting yourself as a child.
What do you see?
Maybe you see a little one filled with curiosity and wonder,
Eager to explore.
Perhaps you see a sensitive child.
Who long to be understood.
A quiet one who wanted to belong.
Or a brave little one who learned to be strong.
Or perhaps you see something else.
Now what would you say to this child?
If you could sit beside them for a moment now.
What would you want them to know about themselves?
About life.
About the love they deserve.
Within each of us lives this younger self.
Carrying the memories,
Feelings,
Dreams,
And experiences of our early years.
We call this the inner child.
As we grow,
We develop ways of navigating the world.
We might learn to please others.
So that we can feel accepted.
We might know how to hide our feelings to avoid rejection.
Or how to become independent.
Because asking for help didn't feel safe.
And these responses may have helped through certain moments,
But when they continue to shape your life long after the circumstances that created them have passed,
This can lead into shadow patterns,
For example,
The victim in a child or the orphan in a child.
In a child can quietly influence how we experience relationships.
How we respond to criticism,
How we perceive our own worth.
So understanding this part of yourself.
Invites you to look beneath your reactions with curiosity.
Rather,
And judgment.
When an emotion feels unexpectedly intense,
Ask yourself.
Is there a younger part of me that is feeling frightened?
Unseen,
Unheard.
And this question is really posed towards the subconscious,
So there's no need to receive or conjure up conscious answer.
By asking these very simple questions again and again at different times.
You can begin to understand this younger part of yourself and you may discover at the path to greater self-awareness.
Begins with such a simple act of compassion.
Of learning to see yourself.
Maybe for the first time.
Through the eyes.
Understanding.
