The Power of Play

Reflecting on play, embodiment, and not taking life quite so seriously.

I admit! I’ve forgotten how to play, like really play. Being ridiculous, silly, laughing so hard you almost wet your pants (which isn’t so difficult these days lol).

I’d felt like I was supposed to hold it all together and be a grown-up.

I’m not sure when it happened exactly. Although reflecting, it may have been most of my life. Cause I felt different and wanted to fit in. And somewhere along the lines, this translated into needing to be well behaved, taken seriously. Could be an eldest child thing to, being the responsible one.

It’s also because I used to worry, constantly, about being judged. I was teased a lot as a child, tall, skinny, buck teeth, etc. And now knowing I’m empathic, then described as overly sensitive, this used to cut deep. So far safer to be a wallflower than stand out.

I do have a wicked sense of humour. Have tended to hold it back, in case I might offend someone. Ha! There’s that wanting to fit in thing again … not step on any toes.

So ‘26 is going to be a year to reconnect with my inner child and play more. Take off my ‘being a responsible adult’ hat and be a little bit naughty, maybe a little bit nutty and definitely more playful.

It’s going to require a shift in my belief system. Moving from ‘being an adult is serious stuff’ to ‘let’s really play with this game we call life.’

Play is all about getting out of one’s head, where I spend far too much time. Real play comes from feeling safe and grounded, connected to the essence of our human experience.

Observe children playing. They are in flow – in the very moment, absorbed without thinking.

They are on a discovery journey. Discovering what brings happiness and contentment. The more they play and get into their imagination (think creativity), the more they connect with what brings them joy. It’s a form of learning – intuitively. Not through thinking, not through instruction but by simply being themselves.

While a playful approach can and should be utilised across all areas of life, it is beautifully grounded in the South. It’s that connection to our essence, which is expressed through all living things. You just have to look to nature, think whirlwinds of dried leaves or the playfulness of dogs on a beach, you see play all around us. Sometimes raucous, sometimes gentle.

It’s also an incredibly creative space. When in flow, having fun and not in the head, it allows ideas to gestate in the unconscious. Because we are in flow state – our happy place – our essence feels safe and able to expand, which introduces new possibilities. It’s like having fun gives us permission to think outside the box – big and bold. It asks – what if?

When things feel big and serious, a playful approach definitely helps. Seeing the challenge as an adventure rather than a problem. It’s shifting our thought process from this is difficult to what can I discover there.

It also absolutely strengthens our connections. Yesterday, swimming at my fav beach, a stunning day, with my teenage daughter, there was lots of splashing, sloppy sand throwing and general mischievousness. It brought back fabulous, fun memories of being at the beach with my family as a child.

I know by tuning out and playing, I encourage my natural way of being to hold centre stage. A space to create, laugh and enjoy. Another big bonus - being silly and having a good laugh lightens my heart like nothing else. It’s really healing.

So, what might happen if we permit ourselves to play more? Not take it all quite so seriously.

I say give it a go – I’m certainly doing it and feeling better already.

Further insights:
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​#anewcompass #leadinglights