We see joy in the faces of children as they play. In our own lives, time for such leisure seems just a distraction or even a guilty pleasure. We are the caregiver, protector and provider. There is a need to feel we are responsible and too old for simple acts of play. The truth is, we should be playing too!
There is a biological need to keep playful well into our adulthood. It may be as biological as our need for sleep or even nutrition. Play could even be said to be integral to our overall good health. The world of play is explorative, creative and releasing. It is also very powerful. All animals engage in play; so should we.
Now this is not to say that play is like a game of cards or piecing together a puzzle. The kind of play here is all out physical, exciting and mischievously purposeless. As aging adults, we may even have a serious play deficit. Interaction of a fully engrossing activity that is purely for pleasure, enjoyment and senseless fun and it uses our whole bodies and minds. Yes, that kind of play. Like when you were a child.
Finding joy through play is pure. It's a personal gift of freedom. Imagine being completely carefree and winning at the simple act of behaving without limits. It's a right to be transformative, challenging and with no inhibitions. Play is personal magic that one should be allowed to master. You know Einstein came up with his theory of relativity after imagining himself riding on a streetcar traveling at the speed of light!
Our playfulness allows us to be innovative and create. It puts a space in the day to engage in fantasy, bending the reality of our ordinary lives. Play can germinate new ideas and new ways of being. It can encourage visualization and take our minds to places we've never been. It allows us to pioneer new paths that we can utilize in the real world. So think about taking yourself into a world of mind-expansion, of possibilities with lighthearted energy. It could be time to explore just what you've been missing. See what you might find the next time you allow yourself the time to play!
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