Letter to my Inner Child

Dear Self,

Our self-worth is often negatively impacted by messages we received in childhood. Developing a healthy self-worth in adulthood often requires revisiting the negative experiences we faced in childhood. I invite you to pause right now and ask yourself, What is getting in the way of believing I am worthy?

What shows up when you do that? Is it a memory, something a parent said or did to you, childhood trauma, rejection from friend, etc. Whatever it is, it deserves our attention. Anything that impacts our ability to like who we see in the mirror deserves our attention.

Connecting with our inner child can be painful and rigorous. For some, it may even be unavailable right now. Wherever you reside on the healing journey is perfectly okay. If you feel ready, an exercise to help connect with our inner child is to write a letter to him or her. This may be an emotional exercise and may be best within the context of a therapeutic relationship. If you start to feel overwhelmed at any point, please allow yourself to stop and return if/when you are ready.

I wrote this letter to my inner child a few years ago. I hope my words connect with you and your inner child.

Dear Inner Child,

You have been unknowingly suffering alone for far too long. You grew up ready to fight and protect in your unsafe, limiting environment. You learned to deny your needs. You learned this was normal. You learned to live with a blindfold on your heart and a barrier between human connection.

You learned to live without I love you. You cried yourself to sleep for years hoping someone would come, but they never did. Eventually the tears didn’t either. You were left feeling numb, an overwhelming sensation of emotion trapped in blank, empty smiles. Each smile burned deeper as love flew further into the distance. It became easier to shame yourself for being unlovable than to accept you were created in an environment incapable of giving love.

You are left longing for unwavering connection wrapped in nurturing hands. This longing is so deeply tied to the fibers of your soul that a glimpse of warmth overwhelms your system, leading to complete shutdown. Your unnoticed, broken being cannot take in love.

You give up and give in. You search and search, only to flee or collapse in its presence. Its beauty can be confused with fear, doubt, and disbelief. It’s hard to imagine a lone soul like yourself could walk hand and hand next to a caring, loving figure.

But you, my dear girl, are worthy of love and belonging. You were born worthy. Each of your experiences is valid and deserves to be heard. Don’t confuse your parents’ inability to feel with your worth.  

I am here to guide you back to your complete, whole self. The self that was perfect before contorting its existence into an ever-failing, never-ending mold.

You have been alone long enough, dear girl.

I love you.

xoxo,

Self