What is the InnerKid?

The InnerKid philosophy didn't have a name until just a few months ago. Before then, it was mostly a way of life, something that ensured I was actually living every moment of my time here on Earth.

In 2005, I learned that I was at-risk of inheriting Huntington's Disease (HD). My mum, only two years earlier, had been diagnosed with the disease, which meant that I had a 50% chance of developing an illness that robs the victim's ability to walk, talk, think or reason around middle age and eventually causes secondary conditions that lead to death. However, as an 11 year old, it was impossible for me to discover my fate for another seven years.

This prospect that I could potentially have a incurable, fatal disease haunted me for months. My mum, who in retrospect, had only six more years to live, was quickly declining into a state of dependency. It terrified me to think that I too could have the rug swept right out from under my feet at such a young age like my mum.

This is when the "innerkid" came to be. I don't remember the date or time or whether it was gradual or not. Yet I decided in 2005 that I was going to start to REALLY live the rest of my life, and not wait to grow up in order to do certain things (this would eventually lead to the creation of GreenTeen...but that's another story).

As the years passed, I looked back at my childhood and was a little disappointed at how much time I had spent being an "adult" for my younger brother and mother. It felt like my childhood was spent being older than I should have and yet, here I was, already a teenager.

Childhood doesn't have to end when you turn eighteen though. The InnerKid philosophy suddenly bloomed into the idea that the power of fun can change your world. Children laugh on average 25 more times a day than adults, but that does not have to be the case. Adults of all ages can harness the power of the inner kid. Here's how it works:

With the InnerKid philosophy, you can change your world, someone else's world, or even the planet. The great thing though is that it will always make you happier because all of these actions are reciprocal. To put the InnerKid philosophy to work, find times in your life that suck away your energy and make you think of those days in the sandbox. Now. Hone your InnerKid and think of ways that you can make those events more playful. Can you put out M&Ms for the conference meeting? Can you organize a fun game to play at a family gathering? Maybe it's even time to make someone else's day.

If you want more concrete examples of how one can use the InnerKid philosophy in your life, stay tuned to this blog. (and hey...remember to wake up and laugh tomorrow.)