We grow older. We get facial hair. We pay bills. We move like we know what we are doing. But inside there is still a kid who never finished growing up. He learned the rules early:
Do not cry… do not complain… do not show weakness.
That boy learned to toughen up while he was still small. He learned fear in the dark. He learned shame without earning it. He learned that love has conditions.
And now that boy wakes up every time:
• Someone raises their voice
• Someone walks out
• Someone calls us not enough
• Someone tries to love us for real
Men do not shut down because they do not care. Men shut down because the boy inside is terrified. Healing starts when the man stops ignoring the child who still hurts.
The Work…
What moment from your childhood still decides how you respond today?
When do you feel the youngest emotionally?
What did the boy inside you never get to say?
Affirmations
I am no longer abandoned…
My feelings matter…
I can protect the child inside me…
Healing my inner child strengthens my manhood.