Today, on the 1st of June, I suggest we look at the child we were. Take a look at a picture from when you were little or think of yourself in one of the pictures from that time. How was that kid? What qualities did he/she had? How did he/she feel?
Try to look at it and describe it, with joy, as any of us would do with a child. Then think about how you are now. The qualities of the child in the picture are still there, often hidden, put in some imaginary drawers, because we considered them inadequate, because the education and the filters we acquired made us forget about that little being and all its strengths. Imagine that you are embracing the child in the image, the one you were, that you look at him/her with love, admiration, love, empathy.
I recently repeated this exercise in Shrizad Chamine’s Positive Intelligence course. I did it about 10 years ago, at a harder time for me. Now it was good, much easier to do.
Coming back, my picture is of a timid, withdrawn, shy child, who seemed to be afraid to look at the day before her, not to mention the people around her. But who always built scenarios in which the world was better and she could be happy.
The child grew up, she learned things, including looking at the world as if it was simple, natural. But her shyness and timidness are still there, hidden by the various forms of survival learned. But they are seen by some as arrogance, distant attitude, and who can accuse them? In fact, who else has the time and desire to see beyond the surface? Who else wants to understand that, beyond a perhaps confrontational behavior, it is someone who had to learn to survive on its own; beyond avoidance is a great sensitivity?
Anyway, it’s not about that. It’s about accepting that the shy being still exists and it’s okay. That she learned some behaviors to break through, went through a lot; if I could, I would say to her, as I say to other children, ‘what a miracle of a child!’ Because all children are wonderful, to me, they all deserve much, much, always love.
How was the child you were? What qualities did he/she had? You still have them, of course, if you pay enough attention.