I work.

I work with my clients. I work with my students. I work on my business. I work on myself. I work to be better at all I do, all I am and all I offer.

I work with mentors.

One day my mentor said ‘you’re doing great… now go play!’

Yes! I thought. Play. I’ve been working hard. I deserve to play. I’m going to play!

In that excited moment I looked around and paused. Perplexed, I asked myself: ‘HOW do I play?’ My goodness, has it been that long?

I had been working endlessly. Working to create. Working to care for family. Working to work. There was always something needing my attention that I hadn’t taken time for casual play.

My eyes anxiously scanned my environment for the answer… until I spotted the trampoline.

That’s it! The kids jump on there to play.

I sprinted down the hill on my mission, leaped onto the circular play-promising device and began my up and down, round and round motions.

I’m playing. I’m playing. I’m playing. I repeated my play mantra, trying to convince myself, as the anticipated joy hadn’t yet consumed me.

Defeated, I plopped down. It wasn’t fun. I lost my play.

How could something so natural be lost? As a child I was great at play! The memories of the laughter and joy are overflowing. As I grew, I still played. Somewhere in my busy adulthood I unknowingly lost my play.

No doubt from the seriousness. Be responsible. Do it right. Focus. Make it happen. Be the grown-up. Be more. Do more. Work more.

POOF. Magic gone. When the fun ceases, so does the flow.

Now don’t get me wrong, I still did laugh, and have brief encounters of some play. But the fact that it got to the point that when given the freedom and the opportunity to run down that hill, recklessly laugh and project myself into the air like a flying child… I couldn’t capture it.

Since that day, PLAY is at the top of the list. To be present. To take breaks and lighten up and have fun. And you know what.. it makes everything better. Even the serious life stuff. Play brings you back to your true nature. Back to the flow. Moments become magical again.

My puppy is very intuitive and knows when I need to play. (Puppies and children.. they know where it’s at!) When I’ve been working on the computer too long, he comes and paws at my legs and cries. It’s my message to ‘step away and go PLAY!’

In my now 40th year on this planet, I’m not reaching for the anti-wrinkle cream. No. Let me be the one with the most laugh lines. Let my joy shine through. Let my play inspire your play. Let’s have FUN, shall we?

I share this story with you, that you may catch your ‘lack-o-play’ before you get defeated by a trampoline. (note: I have since remembered how to fully enjoy the circular contraption that catapults me to the clouds… well, at least a few feet closer to them.)

p.s. No puppy or child reminding you to play? That’s ok. Set a timer to go off on your phone each day saying ‘You deserve to PLAY!’ then allow yourself some FUN and see how much more you get done.