When I was a child, people around me always told me that growing up would only bring problems. That’s why I was always afraid of growing up, and over time, this fear turned into anxiety because growing up meant trouble. Now, I understand better that the reason growing up becomes such an issue is entirely because we silence the child within us. In the structured life of adulthood, there is no room for children, yet what a person needs most is to never lose their childlike side.
When I was a child, I couldn’t understand how adults could both long for their childhood and yet distance themselves so much from it. Perhaps they choose to immerse themselves in the endless swamp of the adult world because they don’t want to confront their childhood selves. This realization struck me as I researched the roots of many psychological issues. Some people get lost in limbo, unable to adapt to the adult world, while others estrange themselves from their childhood selves.
This year, I learned that one must never lose their inner child. It’s the only shield against the ruthlessness and chaos of the adult world because your childlike self gives you the strength to believe in yourself. When you don’t pity yourself, it cries for you. As a child, watching the adults around me rush through life without truly tasting it, getting lost in that frenzy, made me wonder,
“Will I end up like this one day?”
Now, at 25, I’m striving hard not to let that happen because I’ve realized that life isn’t just about success. Perhaps I once modeled myself after those adults I observed, but now I see that wasn’t the right path. Living isn’t just about grades or achievements; living means existing. So, how much space do you take up in your own life? How much of yourself truly exists in it?
When these thoughts flash through your mind like lightning, you realize that life isn’t defined by the numbers you currently embody. And if you make a mistake today, the world won’t collapse. The more you live in the moment, the more you forget about tomorrow, and your only responsibility becomes today—just as you are not responsible for 10 years ago.
Age is merely a number. Don’t forget to make space for yourself in your life and hold the hand of your inner child.
“Semper puer in corde.”
Psychologist Zehra Silci.
Leave a Reply