Have you ever watched children play and envied the focus they bring to everything they do? Children live completely in the moment, unencumbered by the past or worried about the future. In early childhood, we are naturally assertive in standing up for ourselves and telling the truth, and there is a joy and vitality that we see in children that we seem to lose as we age.

The wounds that form from the variations of dysfunction present in so many families today create a change from that wonderfully pure, natural, original spirit that came into the world to a repressed and defended person who has adapted just to survive his or her around. We lose our ability to connect with our bodies, our feelings, our needs and desires. We learn to give up who we are.

I was working with a professional some time ago who asked me to visualize myself as a little child when I was happy, joyful, and free, before I learned how to protect, defend, and modify myself to adapt and survive in the world. At first it was very painful because I could barely remember a time when I had not felt the pain of being lost, but the moment I emotionally connected with myself as a little child, something magical happened: I remembered who I was.

Memories flooded back of dancing on the front lawn in costumes, walking over the fence railing, playing in the snow, and riding my bike down the hill, over the crack in the sidewalk, with no hands. Once again she was cheerful and uninhibited, happy and brave. There was nothing I couldn’t do, nothing that could stop the free flow of creativity, fun, and Life that was me. I felt that part of myself in a physical and visceral way that reminded me THIS was the truth of who I am, not all the behaviors I put on top of it over the years.

By having this experience of remembering Who I am, I became determined never to forget again. I started looking for ways that I could integrate my Self back into my being. I began to notice that the times when I connected the most with what I came to call my “bodacious inner child” were times when I descended from the intellect and actually inhabited my body. I began to examine what led me to do that, and I began to notice that the things that were most effective in helping me access my wonderful inner child were related to inspiration.

The Latin root of the word inspiration is “spirare”, which means breathe. Now he was really onto something. The first thing we have to do when we come into the world is to start breathing. Doctors even pat us on the butt for doing it. It is also true that when we take a deep breath, our attention goes into our body and we calm down as it happens in meditation.

What does it mean to be “in the body”? When we focus on the past or the future, when we fantasize, when we get distracted from feeling our feelings (compulsive/addictive behaviors), when we fall asleep through TV or other means, we are not “in the body.” Mentally, we are focused elsewhere. The intellect is like a computer whose job is to solve problems and interpret the world around us. Many of us focus the mental energy of our intellect on reflecting on the past and how we wish it had been different or on worrying about the future, fearing it may not turn out as we wish. I have stayed up many nights trying to resolve something or rehearse conversations with people with whom I was in conflict. None of these efforts have affected or changed what is right in front of me nor was I really feeling my body as I focused on them. Learning to focus on the moment we are really living brings us into the body and allows us to tap into the power and presence that is within us. There is certainly no better way to do that than to breathe. So if we were to combine breathing with things that inspire us, we would have a winning formula.

Some of the things that inspire me are music, dancing, singing, inspiring stories, inspiring movies, beautiful scenery, sharing with like-minded people, skiing, whitewater rafting, and roller coasters. Laughter. Make a difference in the lives of others.

Connecting with our childish spirit is a process that occurs over time and can bring many changes and benefits to our lives. I have noticed the following:

o A greater sense of inner power and purpose.

o Increased ability to make conscious decisions that are in my highest good instead of acting on autopilot.

o A clearer sense of purpose and direction and greater energy to take action.

o A better connection with my inner guidance system.

o Increased awareness and presence in my life from moment to moment.

o Know what I want and feel my feelings.

o More assertiveness to express myself and my needs.

Have you ever taken a moment to notice those things that energize and inspire you? When do you feel truly alive and connected to the life around you? Could it be that the energy, passion and courage that you have been longing for are already within you? How would your life be different if you connected with the spirit of the child that resides within you and remembered who you are? already are?