Remember being a kid?

Back when life felt more like play than performance.

Before we learned to care what people thought about our outfits, our dance moves, our dreams. Before we knew what it meant to be “too much” or “not enough.”

Somewhere between those first brave steps as toddlers and the curated lives you now lead, you may have forgotten how to live unfiltered, unapologetic, and full of joy.

Yet if you’ve ever watched a small child, you’ll see it—a blueprint for confidence, boldness, and personal growth hidden in plain sight.

Living Loud Without Shame

A toddler doesn’t question if they’re good enough to wear neon pants with polka-dot boots. They don’t worry about who’s watching when their favorite song comes on in the middle of a store. They dance like the world should be watching and clap for themselves without waiting for applause.

Why? Because they haven’t yet learned shame. They haven’t internalized the rules, expectations, and judgments the world eventually throws their way. They’re still living from the inside out—led by curiosity, desire, and a natural faith in themselves.

That is the kind of wild confidence we spend our adult lives trying to reclaim.

Joy in the Smallest Things

Have you ever noticed how kids light up over the smallest, silliest things? A box becomes a rocket ship. A stick becomes a sword. A sidewalk crack becomes a tightrope. There’s magic in their ordinary because they haven’t been trained to overlook it.

As adults, we’re often too busy or burned out to recognize beauty in the small stuff. Our joy gets buried under stress, comparison, and the constant hustle for “more.”

But maybe the path to more isn’t about striving. Maybe it’s about returning—returning to simplicity, presence, and wonder.

Maybe the next phase of your personal development isn’t about gaining something new, but remembering something old.

The Power of Imagination

Children have the kind of imagination that doesn’t come with limits. Ask them what they want to be, and they’ll tell you “astronaut-chef-princess,” and mean it. They don’t edit themselves based on skill, prerequisites, or comparison.

They believe—deeply—that they are capable of becoming whatever their minds create.

That’s not delusion. That’s vision. That’s faith. That’s a heart unbothered by fear of failure or rejection.

Somewhere along the way, you stopped letting yourself dream without disclaimers. You grew cautious, realistic, even cynical. But imagination isn’t something you should outgrow. It points you toward purpose. If you want to live bold, aligned lives, you have to start imagining like a child again—without fear and without limitation.

Falling and Getting Back Up

Every toddler falls. A lot. But do they sit there and spiral in self-doubt about whether they’re cut out for walking? Do they throw their hands up and decide walking is just not for them?

No. They try again. And again. And again.

Failure doesn’t shame them. It shapes them. It’s just part of learning.

This is one of the hardest but most beautiful truths about personal growth: You will fall. And if you don’t fall from time to time, it probably means you’re not taking any real steps forward.

What if instead of fearing failure, we embraced it like a toddler does—with grit, grace, and a willingness to try again?

Who Told You Who You Were?

Somewhere along the way, someone started telling you who you are—or who you’re not.

You’re too loud. You’re too quiet. You’re not smart enough. You’re too ambitious. You’re not the “type” for that. You’re too sensitive. You’re too much. You’re not enough.

And because those messages didn’t come all at once, they snuck in. Slowly. Repeatedly. From teachers, parents, partners, systems, and society. Eventually, you stopped asking who you are and started shaping yourself around what they said.

It takes courage to peel back those layers. To ask: Who told me that? Do I believe it? Does it serve me?

That’s the real work of transformation. Not becoming someone new, but un-becoming what you’re not.

How to Reconnect with Your Inner Child and Start Living Boldly Again

There’s something precious about your inner child. The part of you that still believes, still wonders, still plays. Reconnecting with that part of yourself is a powerful step in both healing and growing.

Ask yourself:

• What did I love before I was told it was silly?
• When was I most myself?
• What did I dream about before fear stepped in?
• How can I invite play, curiosity, or creativity back into my life?

This isn’t about being childish—it’s about being childlike.

Jesus himself said the kingdom belongs to such as these. Because child-like faith, wonder, and humility are how we walk forward in the unknown. It’s how we keep our hearts open. It’s how we keep showing up even when we fall.

Live Boldly. Believe Wildly.

If you want to live boldly, love yourself deeper, and overcome fear, you don’t need to become someone new. You need to return to the version of you that existed before the world told you to shrink.

Before shame taught you to hide. Before fear taught you to settle. Before judgment taught you to dim your light.

The one who wore whatever felt good. Danced with joy. Played with abandon. Dreamed without limits. And kept getting up, no matter how many times they fell.

The work now is to remember and reclaim. Let your inner child lead you back to a life that’s brave, bright, and deeply you.