Someone posted something on Facebook last week that made me a little sad and has stuck with me. A woman wrote, “I really wanted to do (something), but what would people think?” This something wasn’t shaving her head or covering her body in tattoos. It was something as simple as singing out loud, or dancing in public. What made me sad is her inner child was begging to come out and play, and she told it to go sit in the corner and be quiet because someone might judge her.
I’ve had a lot of grown up issues weighing heavy on my mind lately (finances, deadlines, responsibilities, etc) and have had a rough time shaking them. Then I remembered my inner child hasn’t had a chance to play in awhile. I’m fortunate to have a 3-year old adventuring muse around to provoke me. Despite all of my worries, I know that I have very little control over any of them. I decided to give my grown-up self the day off. I planned an adventure for me and my lil’ muse. One of my favorite things to do is go exploring. Last year I found a creek in the city that everyone seems to overlook. We jumped off the trail and went exploring.
Instantly my grown-up problems flee and my inner child goes looking for crawdads and frogs. I splash in puddles and chase minnows. A few hours after I come out the creek, I feel renewed. I just gave my grown-up self the much needed vacation from the daily routine and monotony.
My grown-up self needs more vacations. My inner child needs more playtime. What can you do to let your inner child come out and play? Here’s some ideas (or find your own!):
- Go swing on the swingsets
- Hula Hoop
- Play in the rain/ play in the sprinklers
- Go to a concert and dance!
- Finger paint with bright colors and don’t try to make it anything
- Roll down a grassy hill
- Lay on a blanket in the middle of the park and take a nap
- Hug trees
Let me share a little secret….no one is judging you. You know what they are really thinking? They are thinking, “I wish I could be more like that * I wish I had the free-spirit that person has * I wish I could just let go * I wish I were that much fun.” So go ahead, be the person you want to be. Give your grown-up self a vacation.
Stroke of Red Studio 