There’s a wonderful energy when we’re playful.  The other day, talking to friends, we were sharing the things we started for fun and then realized at some point, they turned into “tasks” on the daily to-do list . . . . and we laughed.

The conversation and laughter got me feeling better about things.  Early in life, my habit pattern about doing things got hard wired.  That is, I grew up in a family and at a time when work came first, homework for subjects we didn’t like came first – and then anything that went into the “like” category came next.  It was a good discipline to learn, certainly.  But somehow, over time, there never was enough time to get to the “fun” stuff.  Goodness gracious.

Fast forward to now and I’m in the midst of living in my intention of an integrated life – where all the aspects of me are connected and I feel the connection.  Even so, at times I find that my intensity and determination overshadow the playful aspects.

Sitting here pondering “How do I bring ‘playful’ into my life?”, I began a list.  After some time, looking at the paper, there was still only one line:  “Reminder to self – Be Playful.”  Okay – got it.  I did, however, have a much longer list of what “remembering to be be playful” looks like.

Here’s the first.  Exercise is a good thing and it can easily wind up on the “to do” list rather than the “playful” list.  Now, when I’m thinking about going for a walk, I remember how much I love the outdoors, fresh air, birds singing.  With Droid phone in my pocket, I take pictures of birds and clouds.  I wave to folks sitting on the porch and I say hello to everyone I pass by.  Most of them say “hello” back and smile.  Everyone reminds me how much fun it is to be part of life and a neighborhood, even with cars whisking past.

When it comes time to do the administrative tasks – clean, bills, taxes – I remember gratitude for the abundance in my life and how I’m connected to the world.  When I was CEO, who likes doing monthly reports or budgets (accountants, maybe).  I remembered how much I love to write and bring ideas to a page.  And, budgets, well, they do begin analytically to see what we had done and then they flow into the imagination to think about possibilities.

So, mostly, playfulness is a state of being – celebrating being alive – welcoming life with open arms.  Smiling just because.  Laughing just for fun.  Like the clouds playing bunnies in the sky.

Thanks for reading!

Have a playful day!

Kathleen