When I think of summer I think of a season for children. Nothing can replace the feeling of busting out of the school doors on the last day and having what feels like an eternity before you of late nights, ice cream cones and fire flies. While driving home from work one day I felt pangs of jealousy when I saw a group of kiddo’s running through sprinklers. That is a kind of joy that once you become an adult is difficult to find.

However, the true icing on the cake for me came a few weeks back. Late one morning as I was rushing to get X, Y and Z done before I scampered out the door to work. That’s when my house phone rang. This phone is mostly reserved for quality satisfaction, sales and political survey calls. I usually don’t even bother to look at it when it rings, let alone pick up. I’m not sure why, on this day, I walked over to pick up the phone.

Me: Hello

Caller: (Giggles)

Me: Hello

Caller: Is your refrigerator running?

Me: (Smiling…….)Yes

Caller: (Pause…..giggles…..)Well, you better go catch it! (GIGGLES)

A prank call. There was something that felt so retro and pure about this. I could hear a small chorus of giggles in the back ground that left me wondering how much fun they had at their slumber party last night. This was the exact same prank call generations preceding them had executed. Each generation had felt clever, original and impressed with themselves.

This experience reminded me of the importance of our inner child. Despite the extremely tough issues I examine with clients it is important to encourage clients to connect with that part of themselves. Some are tasked with the job of finding it for the first time as an adult because their childhoods didn’t afford them that treasure.

Below are five simple steps to start you on your own journey of connecting with your inner child this summer. I encourage you all to start today; school resumes in just a few weeks.

1. Spend some time walking in the grass barefoot.

2. Lie on the ground and find the shapes of objects in the clouds.

3. Prank call Go swimming where children are present.

4. Catch a lightning bug in your hands.

5. Grab an ice cream cone in the middle of the day…just because.