Talk To Yourself

I once heard about a counseling technique where you picture your younger self sitting next to you. You are the older self and you consider what you would tell your younger self. I found that interesting. When you think about yourself as a young child, how old are you? What age popped into your head at the mention?

I am about 6. I think my memory comes from my first grade photo. Pixie hair cut. Front teeth missing. Knee socks up to my knees and a little plaid dress. She looks pretty happy. No family traumas. Has friends to play with. A brother to fight with. A best friend who lives next door. A happy life. No idea of the world that is yet to be experienced for its good or its bad.

So I wondered what the true purpose of this exercise was.

Was it to warn that little girl with the toothless smile what was to happen in the future? Or was it to share with her all of the good things you would want her to hear, to affirm her so that when she was older she would feel confident and good about herself?

I have actually tried this. It seems that all of the negative things we say to ourselves, those old tapes that replay over and over when we least expect it, those little messages that target our worth were created some time between the age of our childhood and now.

Who recorded your tapes? Who set the message loop on continue so that within your mind you you could always count on a "little voice" reminding you that you aren't near that great.

My little self was a happy yet sometimes a fearful little girl. I would tell her today to gather around her as many people as possible who can love her, see the best in her and always, always be grateful that she is their friend.