Finding Joy: How Discovering Your Inner Child Can Lead to A Hap…

Live life through the eyes of a child and reclaim your joy!

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As adults, we often find ourselves caught up in the chaos and stresses of daily life, from work demands to financial obligations to personal relationships. It can be challenging to carve out time to engage in activities that bring us joy and nourish our souls. We forget how to live our lives on purpose with purpose. We soon find ourselves looking for content to help us learn how to find happiness and joy again. Joy is seen as a byproduct of something great happening in our lives. Joy is not an external act. Joy is internal. The journey to finding it often begins with rediscovery. One sure way to promote joy and find inner peace is to reconnect with your inner child. The inner child refers to the part of ourselves that remains childlike and innocent, filled with wonder, curiosity, and a sense of playfulness. Our inner child represents our true self, unencumbered by the responsibilities and pressures of adult life. Unfortunately, as we grow older, many of us lose touch with our inner child, becoming more serious, cynical, and jaded as we navigate the complexities of adulthood. Reconnecting with our inner child can be a powerful way to rekindle joy, creativity, and vitality in our lives.

As children, we had boundless imaginations and could spend hours lost in play, creating imaginary worlds and characters. As we grow older, we tend to lose touch with our creative side, focusing more on practical matters and less on exploring our creativity. We forget how to tap into our creative spark and allow ourselves to explore passions and interests. Activities like drawing, painting, writing, or playing music can help us access our inner childlike imagination helping us express ourselves freely, without judgment. Engaging, in imaginative play, such as playing dress-up or creating a fort in the living room, can help us unleash our creativity and connect with our inner child's sense of wonder and possibility. This may sound silly, but before you know it you will be grinning from ear to ear. Laughter is the best medicine. When was the last time you ran through the grass barefoot or watched bubbles float in the sky? Thinking about this should make you smile, and if it doesn't, you have a lot of playing to do! Play is essential to connecting to true happiness. The purest of moments when we experience unbridled joy. When was the last time you experienced this? The feeling of unbridled joy without the pressure of work and adult life. For me, it had been a very long time.

By the time I reached adulthood, I felt like all of the whimsy and creativity had been sucked out of me by the burden of being an adult. When I decided to reconnect with my inner child, I found myself in uncharted territory. I couldn't remember who I was as a child. Children are experts at finding joy in the simplest of things. Whether it's playing with a ball, blowing bubbles, or jumping in puddles, kids know how to have fun. I was doing none of those things. Matter of fact, I had turned into a boring adult. As adults, we are more focused on achieving big goals and acquiring material possessions. While it's great to have goals, and there's nothing wrong with wanted material things, there has to be more to life. Joy exists within all of the small things. I wanted to reclaim moments of spontaneity. I wanted my imagination back. I wanted to rediscover the joy that comes from simple pleasures. Google recommends activities like playing board games, going for a bike ride, or taking a walk in nature. These are all great places to start, but they seemed so robotic. They lack imagination. I wanted something more enriching. I knew in order to find what I was looking for, I needed to remove myself from the constant conundrum of life. I began to journal every morning. This eventually lead me back into my meditative practice. Meditation is a great way to implement and practice being present in everyday life. I used this time to reconnect with myself and listen to what my heart wanted and needed. I began to make decisions accordingly. I came up with the idea of having a "joy jar". One day, I decided to sit down and write down the things that I enjoyed doing, but couldn't seem to find time for. I wrote them on tiny pieces of paper, folded them, and put them in a jar. Before I knew it, I found myself lying in the grass making animals out of the clouds, and frolicking in my backyard. My joy jar was born! On days when I feel disconnected and discouraged, I draw from my joy jar. I started playing video games again. Yes, I am a hardcore gamer, but the aftermath of working a full-time job left me too drained to do anything other than go to sleep. I began to remember what I enjoyed doing as a child. The more I engaged with them the freer I felt. I soon realized that prioritizing myself helped me carve out the time needed to do the things that brought me joy. I didn't need to spend money or come up with an elaborate plan. I just needed to be still and listen to what my inner child wanted.

Children are naturally curious and thrive on connection and self-expression. We often become more isolated and disconnected, focusing more on our own needs and goals. We forget what it means to be present and vulnerable in our relationships. Trauma and the stress of everyday life lead to shutdown and dissociation. Before you know it, you find yourself out of touch and living in survival mode. Recently, I started focusing on building more relationships that incorporate trust and holding space for each other. I took a long hard look at my life and asked myself, "What am I feeling internally that's causing me to project this outward reality." I started by working on building a better relationship with myself. I became my best friend. I did the inner work to understand and work through the things I needed to heal. I began to journal and write letters to my inner child. Writing to my inner child was a great way for me to work through some of the more complex issues and release them. This helped me learn how to trust myself. I learned what I needed from my relationships. With that knowledge, I began to build better relationships with those around me. Sadly, this also meant I needed to part ways with some people. This exercise helped me understand how I wanted to show up as a partner and a friend. From that realization, I set better boundaries for those that I allow in my life. I built a supportive community. Reconnecting with our inner child can help us nurture our relationships and connect with others on a deeper level. Activities like playing games with friends or family, participating in group activities or classes, or volunteering can help us tap into our inner child's social nature and strengthen our bonds with others. Block off time in your schedule to do what brings you joy. Yes, you have to schedule your joy! Make a list, of activities that are non-negotiable, and do them. The activities on your list should make you laugh until your stomach hurts. They should make you so happy you feel like your heart is about to explode. When you see each day as an adventure, it makes life much more satisfying. When you have people that you trust and be vulnerable with, it’s an added bonus.

Through this process, we unearth the essence of who we truly are—the curious, playful, and authentic parts of ourselves that have been buried beneath the weight of adulthood. Embracing our inner child allows us to find joy in the simplest things, rekindling a sense of wonder and appreciation for the world around us. Ultimately, reclaiming your joy through the discovery of your inner child is a transformative process that leads to a happier and more authentic life. It grants us the freedom to embrace our passions, laugh without inhibition, and approach each day with a childlike enthusiasm. So, let us all embark on this journey, unlocking the door to boundless joy and rediscovering the magic that resides within us. You deserve it!