12 Step Group for Inner Child Healing

Is it safe for my inner child “real self”

to emerge from

my secure bunker?

My inner child

is the real part of me

that is pure, sincere, innocent and

Is connected to my spiritual heart.

Remember, the Spiritual heart of God

also resides in our spiritual heart.

What to do to awaken my “inner child”,

the source of my “true identity”, my true spirit

which resides in my spiritual heart,

To clear the channel to

my “inner child”

“true self”

I need to identify

the negative thoughts and

self-defeating and

sabotaging behaviors

And the wounds.

Awareness:

Become aware of the survival patterns (formulas)

of behavior

that are blocking

the free and open connection to

my “real self”

“inner child”

within my spiritual heart.

When I free the Inner Child

I also free the Adult

I have a lot more to learn

on how to trust more and

live more with myself and

with others.

Who can I trust?

Only trust someone who can see

sorrow behind my smile

love behind my anger and

Reason behind my silence…

Protecting my “true authentic self”

was a survival technique that helped me

survive my childhood and

now in my adulthood,

“my false self” which I developed

to protect me throughout my life,

is no longer working in my adult years.

These behaviors are no longer necessary

and seem to be sabotaging

my peace and happiness

What will draw my authentic self out of my safe bunker?

• Is there a safe place to go where people will listen to me?

• Are there trustworthy people out there that understand me?

• Is there a safe place to go where people will not judge me?

• Is there a safe place to go where people will love me just as I am?

• Is there a place where people will accept me?

We all need a safe place where people will understand why…

I needed to go into the safe bunker in the first place.

Is there such a place?

I guess I need

Honesty and Love

Trust and Forgiveness

to open my heart again

to my inner child

I guess this is the time and the year

to get closer to our

“inner child”

Learning to develop

a habit of loving ourselves and

being our true loving self,

so we can connect to

the being of light and love

that our creator, God created

in our spiritual heart

Are you ready?

In my previous posts,

I have been focusing on how the 12 steps of AA spread and

is become a guide of spiritual healing

for many specific groups.

My spirit was just led to another such 12-step group

I attended for the first time,

an ACA (Adult Children of Alcoholics)

12 step program for adult children of Alcoholics,

specifically geared towards adults

who can feel safe to share their stories and

learn the dsyfunctional survival traits

that were passed on to them

through the generations and

by their parents.

They focus on family matters and

family rearing practices.

This is a “blameless inventory” of their parents.

Revisited only for healing purposes.

AAA (Aware, Accept, Action)

Awareness: of the dysfunctional behaviors taught and aware that you are now practicing those same dysfunctional behaviors

Accept: dysfunctional behaviors you learned and are now practicing

Action: Taking action to change each and

every behavioral pattern that is

sabotaging my peace and happiness

in my relationship

to others,

to my inner child (My authentic self)

to God’s Spirit

in my spiritual heart

Looking at dysfunctional behaviors

of parenting

is not betrayal or disrespect of

our parents

It is accessing the behaviors

we learned as a child

that are sabotaging our

present relationships.

Blaming our parents

keeps us stuck

They did the best they knew how

Parenting does not come with a manual

We only go back in the past

to reveal truths that will

help us grow and mature

spiritually

I will seek courage to take this

next chapter

of healing,

one step at a time,

one meeting at time,

one story at a time.

one truth at a time

one spiritual lesson

at a time..

HOW (Actions)

Honest

Open

Willing

Shining a light on the darkness,

does not mean that we “curse the darkness”

We shine the light,

or reflect God’s Light

to light our path

or the path of others,

so we can help ourselves

and others to become

aware, accept and take action

to learn and grow and do better

The ACA book says:

“no one deserves to live a life of fear and shame”

We all need more awareness of what shame is,

So we can let go of it,

So we do not spoil our existence… as this quote suggests

Shame is when I think and believe I am a bad person.

Guilt is when I made a wrong choice.

I can correct guilt by correcting my mistake.

How do I get rid of shame?

So how do I change this shame mindset?

Am I a bad person?

So I guess talking will help

with the shame

when it rears its ugly head.

If we think we are bad

then how can we love ourselves?

However, we need to find safe people

and a safe place

to share our feelings.

Counselors, friends, pastors, and 12 step groups

are a few avenues for spiritual healing

In 12 step groups

you get a sponsor

a person of your same gender

and with time and wisdom

in the 12-steps to walk

with you and support

you on your spiritual

choices

It is also important to

attend a support group of people

who understand and

can empathize with you.

ACA meetings are in person

and have online zoom meetings

all over the world

I believe we are all here on this earth to learn

our spiritual lessons while we are here and

to help others with

our experience, strength and hope.

It takes courage to make a commitment to

continually grow and help others.

Be open for counseling and other healing paths

that will open your mind, body and spirit to keep

growing and giving hope and love and helping others find their way.

Wow, so this quote tells me that

trying to be perfect, “perfectionism”

will keep me in this shame swap

Do I want to continue letting this character trait

sabotage my life and my happiness.

What can I substitute for trying to be perfect (perfectionism)?

This tells me to chase perfection

but know it is not attainable and

to be happy with

excellence.

I just need to gradually

keep learning and

doing better…

Learning from the wisdom of the ages,

we are told that

in order to get rid of the shame,

we need to get rid of seeking perfection

and strive for excellence and

keep practicing excellence,

until it becomes a habit.

Practice, Practice, Practice…

we then intuitively will know what to do.

I need to practice and

develop an attitude of excellence

every day

Be the Best I can be Today

and everyday

I learned to survive the dysfunction

by suppressing my words

I learned to survive by going into

my own sacred space and

protecting my inner child

I disconnected from the abandonment and rejection

I loved myself enough to create

a false self to protect my true self,

my inner child.

Now in adulthood,

it is safe to let my

inner child have freedom

This is my favorite prayer

for our “inner child”

I read “Transformation of the Inner Man”

and took from each chapter excerpts

to come up with this prayer.

Hope this brings a deep inner

divine love to your

Inner Child

This is entitled

“Happy, Joyous and Free”

our inner child

in God’s Hand

Our Creator, God

made us perfect in his sight

If he loves us

who are we not to love ourselves

and not to pass

that love on to others.

All things are possible

We are worthy and

it takes action to bring our dreams

into reality.

We were given free will to choose

God’s Will or

our own Will

On the path of God’s Will

we are given strength, courage and

dignity in God’s sight.

AAA

Aware of the dysfunctional behaviors my parents taught me.

Aware that they did the best they knew how

Accept the dysfunctional behaviors I learned from them and from my life experiences

Accept that I do not have to continue practicing these dysfunctional behaviors

Action – Adjust my attitude each day to believe healing from these wounds are possible

Action – Seek healing and avenues to heal from these learned behaviors that are sabotaging my relationships with people, self and with God.  

Action – learn and practice healthier and better ways 

Action – practice, practice, practice until it becomes a knee-jerk response and behavior

 

Needs from our Inner Child

I need to feel worthy

I need to feel heard

I need to feel understood

I need to feel supported

I need to feel accepted

I need to feel loved

 

Here are some Inner Child affirmations to repeat over and over again.

I did not grow up with positive affirmations,

so I needed to re-program my inner child,

be a nurturing parent

to my inner child.  

Love will bring us out of the safe bunker.

We no longer need to stuff our feelings

WE have found safe people

to share our experiences

and our feelings.

Our feelings are not right or wrong

They just are feelings

Mine…

Sharing feelings with those who understand,

will bring us out of the safe bunker

As children who were not told they were loved,

You can now

tell your inner child

that he or she is loved.

It is never too late to have a “Happy Childhood”

Today is the day to reconnect to your “inner Child”

Today is the day to start “reparenting yourself”.

Give yourself those things you never got as a child.

Chapter 8 in the ACA book

“The Solution: Becoming your own Loving Parent”

is a chapter I have not yet read

I am anxious to learn some

new wisdom and new ways

of self-care and love

to my “inner child”

This is a sneak preview of

the Re-parenting.

If led by the Spirit,

I will write on other issues

I will learn in the ACA

12-step support group.

If there isn’t any ACA

in- person meetings

in your area,

go online…

Meeting Search

I hope you have learned from this post.

I love all of you…

Esther Mae 2-28-2022