“You are fierce. You’re a survivor. You’re a fighter through and through. Little brave, breathe. There is a warrior within you.” – Beau Taplin in “Lest We Forget”
Learning to look at the little one – the younger self that went through whatever they did – with loving eyes is such a crucial part of healing from early painful experiences.
To be able to speak to the little self with words like these is also SO important – recognizing and communicating that they came up with the very bravest and best strategies they could to make it through a situation in which they had no real control.
These adaptations often no longer work all that well in the adult world – and can lead to so much frustration and self-loathing.
But, if instead of rejecting, we can scoop up and hold and comfort and thank that little one, then the nervous system can begin to recognize that the powerlessness of childhood is over.
And the brave child that fought with all they had to survive – can grow into a warrior and embody the power of adulthood and the wisdom gained through the battle to make it to today.