There have been times in my life when I have been surrounded by adults and I have felt strangely detached. I have looked around the room and felt quite childlike compared to the serious looking adults around me. I often wondered what this was about and began asking other adults if they had ever experienced this before. It turns out that they had.
It seems most of us, if not all of us, can still identify with the child in us. The part of us that feels out of our depth at times and younger than everyone around us. Whenever I have spoken to adults in their sixties or older, they have told me that they still feel like a teenager. Their decisions are based on past experience and more maturity but they still feel childlike on the inside.
I think it is important to keep in touch with that part of yourself – the curious, pure side of yourself that is untouched by social conditioning, etiquette and protocol. I liken my inner child to my essential self – the real me. As we grow up we get told “no” many times over and we learn how to fit in to society and behave appropriately. Some of these behaviours aren’t natural to us and we have to resist our natural inclinations in order to be ‘acceptable’. Staying in tune with your childlike side keeps you young and stops you from taking life too seriously. if you feel like you’ve lost your fun side, go find some swings or skip on the way home. Sounds nuts? Well, maybe it is..but who cares. To hell with social conditioning. The more I speak to others, the more I see how we all have a playful, naughty side.
It seems we never truly grow up…
Mandy X
Author: Mandy Kloppers
Mandy is a qualified therapist who treats depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and many other types of mental health issues. She provides online therapy around the world for those needing support and also provides relationship counselling.
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