Would it occur to you to list to a small child all the scary implications that Might happen as a result of the Corona virus?
I bet Not!
Yet you Do. Daily!
When you run scary scenarios in your head –
you are talking to your Inner Child!
When you imagine the worst that can happen… When you fret about your financial future, or the collapse of world economy… When you despair about resources… When you fear infection or death… When you worry — you are speaking directly to your Inner Girl, your Inner Boy.
The heart pounding, the short breath, the anxiety – are all symptoms of your Inner Child’s fear. The kid within hears your every thought, and panics, since s/he realizes – in terror – that You, the responsible adult — have lost hope! And there is No One to take care of her…
Can you imagine how frightened a child would feel when their parent is in despair?
I bet You would NEVER subject Any living child, for whom you are responsible, to any of your nightmares, would you?
Then it’s time to think of your Inner Narrative as exactly this: a parent speaking to a scared child.
Rather than deepen the fear – you would want to comfort…
Rather than paint a grim picture – you would want to bring hope…
Rather than entice panic – you would want to bring calm…
Lets acknowledge who is listening when we run fearful scenarios in our minds, and whose responsibility it is to change the broadcasting channel:
From fear to gratitude, from future to present, from a scary outcome beginning with: “OMG, what if…?” to a Wanted outcome that begins with: “Oh, My God, What IF…!”
5 Responses
Beautiful! Thank you for this. I’ve been thinking about the narratives that are being shared and being aware of the panic and fear that is surfacing personally and collectively. I feel the new narratives forming! Thank you for this sweetest reminder!
very helpful, thanks!
We are dancing (circle dances) and we are playing our drums (djembe, cajon and bodhran) not only as a way to entertain ourselves, but also to join coletive actions in our country and aroud the world. We play, we dance, we smile, we feel confort, we feel safe and we feel love.
Thank you I am healthy, I am happy, I am love, I am surrounded by beauty.
That’s a very beautiful way of calling things by their name! Thank you, Deanna. All this separation from between adults and children does not work, really. How would we all behave if we knew we have children around all the time, just learning about the ways of the world from watching us, closely?