We all have an inner five-year-old who occasionally drives the bus. It’s that little part of us that remains even when we’ve done our inner work or most of it and are generally in good control of ourselves and emotionally well regulated. The kid might be present when we notice and experience strong emotions, take an impulsive action, or simply want to run away from the outside world, eat chips and snuggle up like a burrito in our bed. There’s nothing wrong with you if your inner five-year-old is present, but since your inner child isn’t really qualified to drive, you might want to use that moment to pay attention and re-insert yourself in the driver’s seat.
Your inner child showing up is a good sign that you probably need some rest, attention, affirmation, play or a change in activity. If you find yourself feeling a little overwhelmed, listen in, check up, and thank your inner child for letting you know, gently, that something in your world needs adjusting, and course correct accordingly.
I think this is so important – so many people think the past has passed and there’s nothing to be done, but we can really learn a lot from examining it and using the lessons to do better in future.