How Mimi Bouchard Uses Inner-Child Energy to Transform Your Mindset 

What We Said sometimes hosts guests who embody the self-improvement journey without delving into complex wellness routines. Mimi Bouchard is one such guest. Her conversation with hosts Jaci Marie Smith and Chelsey Jade Curtis was a nostalgic, energizing, and surprisingly grounding exploration of her unique approach to self-improvement.

At the heart of Bouchard’s teaching lies a simple idea—reconnecting with a younger version of you about remembering who you were before life piled on layers.

How presence shapes the version of you that feels most true

Bouchard discusses how childhood felt expansive because everything was experienced in real time—without the mental multitasking that we all do now. “It’s so interesting you say it makes you feel like that little girl version of you, because that little girl version of all of us, she sees potential everywhere,” she says. “She sees the world as full of opportunity and possibility. There’s no restriction.”

In other words, instead of chasing a more evolved version of yourself, you’re reconnecting with one that’s always been there. “Time slows down when you’re little,” she points out. “That’s why you’re always trying to get back to the inner child.” That’s precisely why adulthood feels like it’s speeding by—there’s less presence, and more autopilot. However, according to Bouchard, presence is the foundation of any meaningful change.

Reframing the ‘future self’ so it feels doable

It’s easy to hear the term “future self” and assume it’s some far-off fantasy version of you with a color-coded fridge and a 30-step morning routine. Bouchard, however, quickly cuts through that misunderstanding. “I always say that this work of becoming your best self, your future self, however you want to call it, because I always say future self, but I don’t mean it’s a version of you that’s only available in the future,” she says. “You can be your future self in this moment. Right now, I feel like my future self in this moment.”

Basically, you don’t have to wait for a raise, a move, or a “new chapter” to transform your life. You’re allowed to step into that energy today. She expands on the idea by explaining what the process actually looks like: “It’s not about becoming something you’ve never been. It’s about unbecoming everything that you’re actually not, that you’ve just taken on over the years. It’s about coming back to that soul you inside of you, that little girl you, that essence, that soul you.”

How activations create presence in everyday moments

Bouchard’s activations aren’t traditional meditations—they’re more like guided focus tools that help you drop back into yourself. “Even these activations, when you’re listening, they bring presence to your life,” Smith explains. “But also, you can be doing something else. So you can be on a walk, or you can be cooking, or you can be getting ready.”

This is where the inner-child tie-in becomes real. Kids are always present, but they’re never still. That’s precisely how these activations function: presence without stillness, grounding without silence.

Bouchard confirms the intentionality of that decision. “It’s not like none of our activations are silent, clear-your-mind type of activations,” she says. “It’s not meditation, it’s activation. It’s designed to activate the best version of you to come out.”

So, what is the best version of ourselves? “The best version of all of us, I believe, is present but inspired and striving, but grounded,” Bouchard says. “It’s kind of both at the same time. So, it’s great that they make you feel that way.”

To find out more, listen to the latest episode of What We Said, available now!

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