Recapturing the Child Within
I invite you to life and you send regrets. Sorry can’t come, too late or too soon, too busy, too scared, too much involved in the business of living. – Dancing Moon Poems
It’s early morning and the birds are having a lively discussion. Summer is fast approaching. The plans for the festivals are in motion and you can catch bits of conversations around town from seasoned artists who know the drill, and the excited anticipation of first-time exhibitors who are pushing themselves to have enough finished work to display.
Growing up, the summer months meant freedom. Freedom from school, homework, wearing shoes, heavy coats, and rigid schedules. It meant heading to the beach, swimming, night dances at the yacht club, hanging out with old friends and making new ones as the families from Manhattan rented their summer bungalows in Princes Bay.
As kids, some of us came into the world ready and willing to jump into life just for the thrill of it. Then there were those of us who saw dragons and demons around every corner and were more content to watch the show from the sidelines. Most of us made it through our childhood with a little bit of both.
Here we are, faced with another summer season that presents a perfect opportunity to jumpstart new levels of renewed enthusiasm. Let’s use our imagination to spiral back into our childhood to recapture that feeling of true excitement about life.
Remember when you couldn’t wait to get up in the morning and never wanted to go to bed at night? Remember getting new sneakers and knowing that you really could run faster. Remember the smell of freshly mowed grass and spinning around and around until the ground came up to meet you. Remember going barefoot in the summer and feeling the heat from the sidewalks on your feet. Remember quickly climbing a tree to the highest branches and then being frozen with fear on the slow, treacherous way down. Remember fast, fierce fights with friends. Remember shrieking, yelling, jumping and running. Remember laughing while making up crazy games and elaborate plans with your best friend of the moment. Remember star light, star bright…
Now bring your mind back to the you of today. Bring that remembered exuberance along with you, as you answer these questions. What is missing from your life at this time? What would you love to do that would lighten and brighten your life? What would you need to let go of in order to allow yourself to have new experiences of the delightful kind?
We often squelch our exuberance with thoughts like:”It’s not practical. No time. No money. Too frivolous. I’d feel too uncomfortable, silly and irresponsible.”
The real issue is that most of us have forgotten how to be fun or have fun. We’ve become boring, bored, numbed out and on automatic pilot, burdened with our roles and responsibilities. We are locked into being adults. High rollers. Big impact people who are only interested in the important things. Our inner longing says: “When can we?” and we reply: “Soon, but not yet.”
This is where a shift in perception must be made. Profound shifts come in small and seemingly inconsequential ways. Simple little experiences fully embraced feed the exuberant child within.
Once again, remember. Teenage years. The thrill of simply holding hands. Tender kisses. Walks on the beach. Slow dancing. The electricity of attraction. Being flooded with emotions. The experience of really listening and being listened to while trying to talk about new and unexplored feelings.
Life invites us to participate and it is our privilege to accept or decline. Here is the simplest truth. We each have the right to say yes or no to life. The truly miraculous gift is that life continues to ask, moment by full, rich moment.
Susan teaches on-going workshops on the Dynamics of Intuition, locally. She is the author of “Beyond Intellect: Journey Into the Wisdom of Your Intuitive Mind.” Learn more at: susanvelasquez.com or (949) 494-7773.
