There’s a part of me, buried deep inside, that still remembers a time when life was simple, full of wonder and joy. A time when the world seemed bigger than my worries, and my heart was light with the innocence of a child. I can still feel the faint echo of that child, calling out from within, a voice I’ve almost forgotten. And yet, despite the noise of adulthood - its stresses, anxieties, and pressures - I can hear that voice, faint but persistent, asking me; “Do you remember me?”
The “inner child” is something we all carry with us, even if we don’t always recognize it. It’s that innocent, unfiltered part of us that existed before the weight of the world made us doubt our worth, our dreams, or our place in it. It’s the version of ourselves that believed in magic, that danced without fear of judgment, and that saw beauty in the smallest of moments. But, somewhere along the way, I lost touch with that child. Or perhaps the world just stole it from me.
When I was younger, the possibilities seemed endless. I didn’t have to worry about bills or deadlines or whether I was good enough. I could lose myself in the rhythm of a song or the joy of creating something out of nothing. But as I grew older, the pressures of life began to build - a weight I couldn’t escape. The relentless drive to succeed, to keep up, to be what others expected of me slowly edged out the freedom I once felt. I thought I had to leave that child behind to "fit in" to a world that didn’t always understand or nurture my dreams. And in doing so, I lost the very essence of who I was.
Now, I find myself looking back, longing for the simplicity of those days. But the search to reconnect with that inner child isn’t as easy as it seems. Life today is full of pressures - expectations from society, from family, from work - that make it feel impossible to let go, even for a moment. The anxiety of constantly measuring up, the fear of not being enough, and the overwhelming sense of burnout have become my daily companions. There are days when it feels like I’m drowning in the weight of it all, and I don’t even remember how to take a breath without feeling guilty.
The world demands so much from me, and there’s always this nagging voice in my head telling me that I need to do more, be more, achieve more. The need to "fit in" is louder than ever - whether it's having the perfect career, the perfect relationship, the perfect life on social media. And in that race, somewhere along the way, I lost my sense of wonder. The child who once believed that joy could be found in a puddle or a game of make-believe now feels like a distant memory, hidden beneath the layers of adult responsibilities and self-doubt.
But despite all of this - the pressure, the stress, the anxiety - I feel that child stirring within me. And it’s not that I want to go back to being a carefree child who didn’t know the challenges of life. It’s that I want to find a way to let that child help me see the world through her eyes again. I want to remember what it felt like to be alive, not just to survive. I want to find joy in the small things, to dance in my living room without caring if anyone is watching, to dream big again, without letting fear stop me.
The search to reconnect with that inner child feels like a struggle against everything that life has taught me to be. Society tells me I must constantly strive, constantly achieve. But my inner child just wants to feel, to play, to be present in the moment. It’s a battle between the part of me that is exhausted by the weight of adult expectations and the part of me that knows there is still light, still wonder, still life waiting to be lived.
Some days, I feel like I’m failing. Like the stresses of life have swallowed me whole, and I’ll never find my way back to that pure, untainted joy. But then, there are moments; small, quiet moments - when I catch a glimpse of her. A laugh that bubbles up from nowhere, a tear that falls freely without shame, a moment of stillness where I realize that I’m not alone. These moments remind me that the inner child is still here, not lost, but hidden beneath all the layers of self-doubt and worry.
The truth is, I may never fully escape the pressures of adult life. The responsibilities, the challenges, the endless demands - they’re part of the world I live in now. But perhaps the key isn’t to escape them. Perhaps it’s to find a way to live alongside them, with the inner child as my guide. To let that child remind me that I don’t always have to be serious, that I don’t always have to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders. I can play. I can laugh. I can dream. I can be free in the small moments, even if the world keeps turning with its pressures and anxieties.
So, I will keep searching. Not to return to the past, but to reconnect with the essence of who I am - a person who was once unafraid to feel, to wonder, to experience life with open arms. I don’t know exactly what that means yet, or how I’ll find that balance between the demands of the world and the desires of my heart. But I do know this: it’s worth the search. Because in finding her, I rediscover the beauty of being truly alive - not just surviving, but living.
In a world that tries so hard to make us forget our joy, the inner child is a piece of us that will never truly vanish. She’s waiting for me to listen - to remember that life doesn’t have to be as heavy as it feels. And maybe, just maybe, that’s where true healing begins.
Wishing you to have a good day.
Thank you :)