Are you including play in your life?

Take Care of Yourself: I love this lesson because it so central to each of us and our success. We cannot be successful when we don’t take care of ourselves. And playing, for me is an essential component. We all know this and yet somehow the time gets away or other things become the priority. Think back to your childhood and the things you loved to do. We ran through the woods, building “forts”, played kick-ball with all the neighbors, and did lots of biking. I loved biking, and stopped when I went off to college. Ten years ago, I rediscovered biking. It felt familiar and like I was home. As a teenager I had biked everywhere, to visit friends, go the “mall”, and did a week of touring. We didn’t think anything of riding 50 miles.

When I found biking again, I also found imagination, adventure, freedom and joy. I joined a bike club, started riding several times per week and planned a cross country tour. The next year I led a small group from Maine to Oregon, and found a free spirit.

Now, ten years later, I play in a new way, with a one year old and four year old. We make sand castles, mud pies, fly kites, color and build airplanes out of boxes with toilet paper rolls for wheels and stickers decorating the outside. It’s a wonderful sense of play and also familiar. Memories are rekindled of fond childhood moments and I hope I am part of making future fond memories. The challenge as a parent and small business owner is to do the things I love to do as an adult.

Recently, a colleague read my profile on my website and said, “Wow, you like to do so many things – kayak, bike, run, climb”, and it’s true I do love these things. Day-to-day life sure does take over sometimes. How do we bring play into our lives and what are the benefits? In the play of childhood there was a feeling of openness, adventure and lightness. When we bring these qualities into our lives regularly it lightens our approach to people, to work to our day to day demands of life. That’s the benefit.

I include play, with intention, as part of my best year yet plan. It keeps me focused and including it in my life. And as a benefit, I find new energy, new commitment and a lighter, happier attitude.

Try a few new things this month:
-Take a trip to the toy store and buy a toy – legos, blocks, crayons
-Visit a playful place—the zoo, the beach, a carousel
-Do an activity that gave you joy as child
-Plan a day to play and do your favorite things, note how you feel the following days.
-Make play part of your life, regularly.

Take care of yourself and play!