How to Be your Own Hero by Embracing your Inner Child

Welcome in my friend! I am so excited to have you here because today we are going to talk about something that is truly mindset changing! Today, we will be discussing how you can be your own hero by embracing and accepting your inner child. Through this, you will learn how to live freely. You will empower yourself and learn how to protect yourself!

So, let’s begin…

Being an adult, being a child:

To start with, there is something very important we need to establish. So many of us believe that when we become adults, that child part of us is gone. So many of us believe that when we are adults we are no longer children. I am here to tell you that when we are adults, that child in us is still there. That child always lives on. By giving a voice to that child you can truly empower yourself.

When we grow up, we develop an added level of maturity. We are a child with an added layer of ‘adult’. We have responsibility, we have experience, we have purpose, sophistication, complexity. However, this is just an additional layer. The child in us is still there. That playful, free, innocent and vulnerable side of us is there from birth until death. It never leaves us. In other words, when you are an adult you are adult AND a child. So, don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t use those childlike qualities. Embracing your inner child is the best way to live freely, to be your own hero.

Why it is empowering to embrace your inner child:

By nurturing this inner-child you will empower yourself. Let me explain how this works. In simple terms, if you do not embrace your inner child you are blocking out a part of yourself that is already present. You are ignoring and repressing the desires of that child. You are not nurturing that child, helping that inner-child to thrive. When we nurture our inner-child we can have the great traits of an adult: maturity, reliability, responsibility, sensuality, etc. the list goes on. But we can also incorporate the great traits of children: trust, freedom, lightness, humour, fun, etc.

It is extremely healthy to allow this part of yourself to thrive and grow. It is important to provide this part of yourself with nutrients and care, a great way to empower yourself. When you are a child, you are the responsibility of your parents. When you are an adult, there is a shift. You are no longer the responsibility of your parents. This is when you have to look after that child yourself. You are essentially your own parent. If you can look after this child, this child will be healthy, free, glowing and successful. You are able to be your own hero here. If you do not look after this child, if you are only child with no adult, or only adult with no child, that is when things tend to go south. This is when you can no longer live freely.

I would like you to ask yourself a question. If you have a child (if you do not, imagine you have a child), would you ever intentionally hurt your child? Would you criticise your child? Would you break your child down by letting others walk over your child? Is there a time when you would allow your child to become unhealthy in mind or body by not setting proper boundaries with food/lifestyle? ( If the answer is yes then I kindly suggest seeking some therapy) If the answer is no, it is so important for you to realise that you are the parent of your inner child. That child that lives inside of you that can be vulnerable and need a cry, that needs encouragement is there. As an adult you have the responsibility to care for that child.

Many of us experience self-hatred and do not feel as though we deserve to be treated gently with care. If this is an experience that is familiar to you, please take a moment to think of yourself as a baby, as a toddler, as a child. You deserved love then and you deserve love now. You were unconditionally worthy and valuable then, and you are still unconditionally worthy and valuable. By valuing yourself unconditionally you will be start to be your own hero.

So my friend, we are going to talk about some ways that you can empower yourself by embracing your inner child- I want this for you and I am rooting for you!

Be your own hero by allowing yourself to be vulnerable:

Healthy children allow themselves to be vulnerable (if you felt as though you could not allow yourself to be vulnerable as a child, you may have some inner child healing work to do).

If children want to laugh, they laugh, if they want to cry, they cry. They allow themselves to feel how they feel without shame. Children are less guarded; they are less afraid of the judgments of those around them. If they are judged, they may be hurt but they will eventually bounce back. Healthy children do not tend to hold back. Children also tend to be more open with their problems. These things help them to live freely, being vulnerable is a great way to empower yourself.

As adults, so many of us ignore this part of us that desperately craves being vulnerable. Most of us are not even aware of this desire, it is that shut down in us. So many of us hold back from sharing. We fear the judgement of others and we fear the judgment of ourselves. This can cause unresolved trauma and unprocessed emotions that can hold us back. Communication issues also occur more frequently because we struggle to share our true feelings and thoughts with others. Emotions that are not expressed can get trapped in our body putting our bodies under a lot of extra pressure and stress. You can find out more about the impact of emotions here in an article by Dr Birk https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/repressed-emotions#Repressed-emotions-and-trauma.

Additionally, when you allow yourself to be vulnerable you are making the the decision to be your own hero. You are choosing to act authentically with your emotions, trusting that the people who are good for you will stick around, and the others will leave. You are telling yourself that your emotions and opinions matter, you are being a champion! Through this you empower yourself.

When we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, we allow ourselves to release emotions, they no longer get trapped in our body. We are able to deal with problems with our adult maturity. We are able to build relationships that are more meaningful – those who do not accept our raw vulnerable selves go, the real high value people stay. This is because we are integrating our adult wisdom and communication skills with our child vulnerability- the result is powerful and beautiful. You are living freely!

Be your own hero by speaking to yourself more kindly (nurture and parent yourself to empower yourself)

As we mentioned earlier, when you are an adult, your childhood self still lives inside of you. Now you have the maturity to be the parent. There is still a soft, sensitive part of you that needs to be loved, nurtured and accepted unconditionally. When we are adults, we tend to be less forgiving of ourselves, we expect so much more of ourselves. You can live freely by choosing to change that mindset that has been so hardwired into us by society.

My friend, always remember (as we mentioned earlier) that you were born unconditionally worthy and that this never changes. Please validate that part of yourself. Reassure yourself, speak kindly to yourself, speak compassionately to yourself, be accepting, forgiving. Please remember that you are worthy no matter what. Please treat yourself with care, as you would your baby. Embrace that part of yourself that needs protecting. Make sure to keep him/her safe, feed your body healthy food, get enough sleep and calm yourself down when you are triggered. Do not be unkind or judgemental towards yourself- do not bully that child that needs loving. This is an essential change you need to make if you want to be your own hero.

You can discipline that child, make the right decisions with your adult maturity. That is how we reach goals and stay safe and well. A large part of this is setting boundaries. If you have a child (if you don’t, try to imagine that you do), you would never let people walk all over your child. You would never let people take advantage of your child or bully your child. You would stand up for your child. So do this for yourself. Set boundaries for yourself. Set boundaries between yourself and others to keep your energy safe. Also set boundaries for yourself. Do not let yourself bully that inner child. Do not tolerate it. Empower yourself, do not tear yourself down. A helpful thing to do is to think of yourself when you were a young child. Speak to yourself as kindly as you would to that child.

Be your own hero by going for it- without the fear of being judged, without the fear of failure:

Do this in relationships. If you have reason to believe that the person you are with is faithful/loyal, trust them. Let your guard down. If you are proven otherwise you can act on that then. When you trust more you are able to feel more alive, lighter, freer. Other people also feel more at ease with you. They may in turn let down their own guard. This creates an open environment where you are able to form meaningful, deep connections with others. You are able to live freely.

Also do this with your body and your feelings. Allow yourself to FEEL without being scared of the judgements of yourself or others. Move your body as you would have when you were a child. Let yourself dance and let go. Let yourself be silly and completely relax. Be playful – I am telling you my friend, it will make you feel more alive. Other people who match your energy will bounce off of you.

Allow yourself to acknowledge that there may be people who don’t match your energy, and that this is fine. You are still safe and worthy. Not everyone has to like you, in fact I do not think there is anyone in the world who everyone unanimously likes. Sometimes we are so worried about how much others like us that we don’t consider how much we actually like being around them. You do not have to like everyone, and remember that you are empowering yourself, your opinion matters and is important.

If there is a project you want to do, if you want to sing out loud, if there is an outfit you want to wear, a place that you want to travel to, if there is a career decision that you want to make then go for it. Be your own hero and use your adult wisdom and maturity to allow your childlike dreams to come to fruition. Children are incredibly creative, and creativity is what leads to innovation. Empower yourself by letting go of the fear of being judged. Plunge right into it and absorb it with all of your senses. Allow yourself to take these risks because if you don’t, you may miss out on great opportunities. Trust that if it doesn’t work out you will bounce back with that child lightness and that adult experience and maturity you have inside of you.

Laugh without heaviness. Let your guard down and trust that you are safe, that everything will be alright. If this is really difficult for you, you may not have a secure base in yourself. You should try to work on building up a system of internal validation. Let yourself play. You can find out more about this in this great video by Coach Alexis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwDUlGUm3rI.

If you want to try a new hobby that your inner child wants, and that your adult self thinks is wise and responsible, go for it! Remember my friend, you only live once. Be your own hero. A large part of ‘going for it’ is making the choice to release control. You can find more information about how to release control (and why it is so important) here https://serenelycreative.com/the-power-of-letting-go-how-to-let-go-of-7-things-today/.

Empower yourself by being curious- learn, learn and learn some more:

Be curious. Your inner child is hungry for knowledge. Try to make a conscious effort to learn something new every day. Observe. Children notice more, maybe that’s why they have such a great intuition. Look around you, be more mindful, get out of your head. Notice the sky, the people. Notice colours, feel things. Be curious. Absorb your environment with all of your senses and allow yourself to get excited about it.

Ask lots of questions- remember that knowledge is power. You may have your life changed by a transformative realisation. Allow yourself to radiate enthusiasm, allow yourself to be excited and nurture that excitement by expressing it.

Allow yourself to be confused, you do not have to have everything figured out. It is not embarrassing. You are human. If you allow yourself to be confused you will learn more, you will be more open to learning from others. Sometimes things are confusing. As adults we tend to put a lot of pressure on ourselves to have everything figured out, but rest assured that you are where you are meant to be. In this moment, and in every moment, you can allow yourself to just be. If you are trying your best that is all you can do. Everything works out in the end.

Empower yourself by getting excited- be optimistic and you will be your own hero:

Be excited, feel every moment of life and feel it viscerally. Be completely present. My friend, every moment is precious. You will never get any moment back. Remember that your life is a miracle. Be optimistic, expect things to be good. When you expect good things to happen, good things do happen.

Be optimistic about people, believe they are truly good and it is likely that they treat you better. Love people fully with all of your heart, because that child in you can bounce back if people let you down- you are safe. Allow your heart to be open. Build a security system within yourself where you have enough internal validation to bounce back if someone lets you down.

Allow yourself to be authentic:

Allow yourself to be you, be unapologetic. Of course, combine this quality of the child in you with your adult maturity and decision making. Remember that there is only one you in the world. If you are living as another person, you are not really letting YOURSELF live. The most awe inspiring people are those who let their pure energy radiate. If you don’t know something, that is fine. If you make a mistake, that is fine too. It is allowed. Let yourself slip up and get back up. You don’t want to cruise through life pushing down your most valuable skills and traits. Use them, please.

Be your own hero by Looking at Responsibilities as Privileges:

When we are children, we look at responsibility as exciting, mature things. Children are excited to help out. Children are so proud to be able to do responsible and mature things. Allow yourself to still feel excited by responsibilities, it will make things feel like less of a chore. Love taking care of yourself and doing the grocery shopping- you are nurturing and taking care of your body by buying food. When you have to pay bills think about how proud you are of yourself for being able to pay your own bills. Now you have the privilege to provide and take care of yourself. Now you can be an active member of society. You can contribute a lot to the world. You are powerful, important, and empowered. By learning to celebrate the mundane aspects of life a huge weight is lifted. You live freely.

Be your own hero by saying well done to yourself, be proud of yourself and celebrate your wins to empower yourself:

Children have no shame in being so proud of themselves for their achievements. At times, it can make them visibly glow, and stand up taller. Adults tend to dull down their achievements and at times can even move on to the next goal without even congratulating themselves for their wins. Children tend to celebrate more about themselves and their wins, even the small wins. To live freely you must slow down and notice your wins.

That child in you wants you to validate yourself and say well-done. You can be modest and still congratulate yourself. Celebrate your achievements. Speak to yourself and make sure you know how proud you are of yourself. You can even buy yourself a small treat to celebrate your wins- it will help you to stay motivated and add more spice and softness to your life.

Empower yourself by Listen to your Intuition and Gut-Feeling:

Children often have a great intuition. Adults tend to push down their intuition more. I want you to allow yourself to connect to yourself more. Connect to that child in you that is pure and unclouded by bias or expectations. Connect and explore your feelings. Listen to yourself. If you have a gut feeling that something is wrong, take that feeling and listen to it. Remember though to differentiate between anxiety and intuition. You can watch this video by Coach Alexis for more information on intuition https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7HfsiMLX_o. By learning more about intuition you will be able to distinguish intuitive feelings from anxious ones.

The experiences and knowledge we take on through our lifetime can sometimes be distorted, or taint our purely intuitive ability. Peel back the fog and allow yourself to stop and listen to the simple truths. Be real to yourself if you want to be your own hero. When you stop to listen to the truth you will be able to live freely.

The unhealed inner child:

The qualities I have described today are qualities that are associated with a child who has grown up in a healthy environment. If you found it difficult to express yourself or to be vulnerable as a child, it may be a sign that it would benefit you to embark on an inner healing journey. When you connect to that inner child of yours, you will start to develop a greater sense of awareness. You may notice blocks or negative core beliefs that impacted you when you were younger, and that still hold you back now. You can do more of this through shadow work. When you have that awareness you can start to challenge those beliefs and break free. Be your own hero, write your own future, empower yourself and live freely my friend because you have unconditional value and worth. You deserve to live your happiest life.

So, to round up on how you can be your own hero and live freely by empowering your inner child:

So, my friend we have discussed some ways that you can embrace your inner child. Your inner child is there and if you nurture and empower it, you will truly be your own hero. You will live more freely, more serenely, more kindly. You will live with more acceptance. It will be easier for you to build more meaningful connections and you will connect more to your purpose and your creativity. I want this for you, and you can do it! Allow this to be the start of embracing your inner child. You will not regret it.

The child inside of us is naturally creative, so if you want to channel that creative energy you can check out my step-by step tutorial on vintage scrapbook making here https://serenelycreative.com/how-to-make-a-vintage-scrapbook-with-coffee-stained-paper/. You can also check out how to make a Jar of Happiness to enhance your wellbeing here https://serenelycreative.com/jar-of-happiness-enhance-your-mental-emotional-and-physical-wellbe/.

Sending love and hugs always,

Serenely Creative