Five Ways to Nurture Your Inner Child and Why It’s Important to Your Success

/ Nurturing your Inner Child / By

Five Ways to Nurture Your Inner Child and Why It’s Important to Your Success

We are born with an entirely constructed sense of curiosity. From the moment, we take life’s first breath; we begin to investigate the world around us without any preconceived notion or presence of potential reward. We crawl for seeming miles to touch an object or taste a thing we likely shouldn’t, all in the name of inquisitiveness. This innate sense of curiosity drives us throughout our lives; it motivates scientists and explorers to reveal the unexplainable and inspires voyages into the vast unknown. This internal energy source, or inner child if you will, fuels our natural desire for information and understanding (Myer, 2011).

Our inner-child is like a sponge absorbing life’s experiences and the stories that accompany them. Your inner child craves mystery, intrigue, happiness, sadness and unexpected endings, adventure, and wonder, which is why storytelling is an intricate part of our world – always has been and always will be. This concept is not a new phenomenon; it is centuries old and a fundamental human truth. Stories captivate the heart, but your inner child brings them to life in vivid color. 

But, somewhere between childhood and adulthood, many of us lose touch with our inner child. Among the pressures of looming deadlines, our focus on performance at work, the need to build the “big” presentation, or to prepare for meetings with the board, our inner child often takes a back seat to the adult business-like persona people expect to see every day.

However, whether you are a writer, designer, strategist, account lead, creative director, accountant, or media planner, you need your inner child’s youthful spirit to challenge conventional thinking, to innovate, and break through barriers standing in your and your clients’ way. Your inner child is where your imagination thrives; it is where fantasy and reality collide to create unimaginable possibilities. 

First, nurturing your inner child requires some imaginative playtime, relax time, writing time, thinking time, immersion time, and yes, while this may be shocking to some, rest time. Energizing your neural synapse and keeping it running like a finely-tuned Porsche means getting the proper amount of sleep as often as you can (Myers, 213). Today, many people may consider sleeping a success inhibitor. In fact, you’ve likely heard the expression, “sleep when you die;” however, your health and well-being depend on proper rest, your inner child needs sleep to recharge, refocus and to ignite creativity and productivity. So, in this fast-paced world, we live in with endless demands on our time, how do you keep your inner child thriving and fueling your success” Here are a few easy tips:

  1. Your imagination thrives within your inner child. So, to support its vibrancy, keep a journal with you and write or sketch early in the morning, or take a break during the day and stream your consciousness through your pen and into your log book or sketch pad (Harris, 2015). It is not so much about what you draw or write as it is exercising your imagination.
  2. Your inner child is innately curious, so feed its inquisitiveness by immersing yourself in art, culture, and learning. Read a story or scan the back of a cereal box (Cocoa Puffs are my favorite). Remember, narratives nourish our inner child. Stories open the mind, stimulate and improve your cognitive and emotional skills. According to Robert McKee (1997), “stories are the conversion of life itself into a more powerful, clearer, more meaningful experience. They are the currency of human contact.” 
  3. Play games! Today, many companies feature game rooms and encourage associates to use them because playtime provides fuel for both critical thinking and creativity. Take a few minutes to sling a yo-yo, play ping pong, or defend a galaxy far, far away. Your inner child will remain youthful and a willing participant in helping you to break through traditional wisdom to uncover the next new frontier or brilliant idea. 
  4. Ask questions like a three-year-old. Why? Why? Why? Edwin Land invented the Polaroid after his daughter asked why she could not see the photo she took right away (Harris, 2015). Ask why, what if, why not, what else, and how could we do that?

Your inner child has few inhibitions; as a result, it is bold, courageous and daring. It has no foundation for doubt, or “no, we can’t do that” sentiments; that is your stuffy adult talking. Your inner child only sees possibilities and “why not.” So, nourish it with Crayons, color markers, bouncing yo-yos, dart boards, music, stories, sketch pads and notepads and yes, rest is essential, too. 

Your inner child is money in the bank, so cultivate it and, well, treat it like the child that it is. Your career and personal life will thrive!

 

#innerchild, #storytelling, #moneyinthebank, #couriosity, #nofear, #creativity, #challengingconvention

 

Reference

Harris, K. (2015). Think like a kid: Get sh*t done. The Newsletter Pro. Retrieved from http://www.thenewsletterpro.com/think-like-a-kid-creative-self-growth/

McKee, R. (1997). Story. Substance, structure, style, and the principles of screenwriting. New York, NY: Harper-Collins Publishers. 

Myers, D. G. (2011). Exploring psychology (8th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.