“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing” ~ George Bernard Shaw
I turned 50 this year and as a gift to myself, my family, and my friends, I took the time to put together a list of 50 things I’ve learned over 50 years. You can click here if you’d like to read the entire list 🙂
#18 on the list was “Don’t forget how to play and have fun!”.
I am naturally a playful person. I love being silly and make it a point to not take myself too seriously. My nickname is “Fun-sized” and while this might have to do with my physical stature – I stand 5’ 1/2” on a good day – I also think it comes from the fact that I make a point to build fun and play into my life on a regular basis. As kids, we all knew how to play…it just came naturally, but somewhere along the line, many of us either forget how to play or we stop making is a priority. Why is that? Is it because we are self-conscious and worried about how we will look if we allow ourselves to be silly? Is it because we are so focused on achievement that we are afraid if we stop to play we will fall behind our peers? Is it because someone told us we needed to grow up and we took this to mean we needed to stop playing? Is it some other reason? (I’d love to hear your thoughts on this!)
Play has been on my mind a lot recently as we just held our Wholistic Scavenger Hunt evening retreat in and around Baker Park in Frederick, Maryland. As part of the planning committee, it was our intention to create an event that was fun and playful while at the same time challenged participants to step outside their comfort zone. Feedback is that we were able to create just such an event. It warmed my heart and soul to see so many women taking time out of their busy schedules to just play! If you were one of the participants, what was the event like for you? Were you able to play and have fun?
As a student and teacher of The Daring Way curriculum – an experiential methodology based on the research of Dr. Brené Brown – I know that play is essential to wholehearted living. I make fun and play a priority. Here are some of the current things on my “playlist”…
- escape rooms (if you don’t know what this is, Google it. I’m sure you have one near you!)
- riding my bike
- puzzles
- going on a motorcycle ride with my hubby
- bootcamp-style exercise with good music and fun friends
- scrapbooking
- playing/drawing with window markers
- cards/board games
- going out with friends
- playing with my dog
- singing in the car at the top of my lungs
Now it’s your turn! What’s on your “playlist”? My hope is that by reading this blog you will be inspired to find a least one small way to play today. Go have some fun!
Today’s author: Laura Hall, CPC, CDWF: As a certified professional coach since 2009, Laura Hall, Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator has been helping people just like you make changes in. As a mother of 2 girls, Laura has a special interest in coaching parents, so if you still have children living at home, ask Laura about her Wholehearted Parenting programs. Laura can be reached via email at [email protected] or feel free to visit her website HallCoaching.com