The Language of Play ~ Empowering Words for a Creative World
“As more humans awaken, the word work is going to disappear from our vocabulary, and perhaps a new word will be created to replace it.” ~ Eckhart Tolle, from The Power of Now. Imagine you are having a team meeting to introduce a new project. Your team leader is in charge of instigating the project, and of course, she wants it to be successful. You and your team are sitting, listening, waiting for instructions on how to proceed. Now imagine the first words that come out of her mouth are, “I want you to work on this project.” Her energy is serious, focused and professional. What would be your initial feeling response? What expectations or images would run through your mind? How would her words […]
2 Ways to Appreciate Others
One of the skills I teach in my playshops is appreciation. Participants often realize afterwards how much they don’t express appreciation to co-workers, family and friends. When we think of appreciation we think of acknowledging what someone has done: That’s a beautiful painting. That project turned out really well. What an incredible back flip! What we often forget to do is appreciate the person behind the doing ~ who we see them being: I appreciate how imaginative you are. You put a lot of heart and determination in that project. You are so courageous to do that! Imagine you just shared a painting, completed a project or did a back flip – which form of appreciation would touch your heart most? Play with both forms. […]
Therapeutic Smile
“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” ~ Marcel Proust. One smile can make the difference to my day. So many times when having a rough day, I’ll see a stranger smile and suddenly my spirit lifts. Let your smile be the light that brightens someone’s day…starting with You! Smile for no reason, for happiness needs no reason, just desire, willingness. Even just forcing a smiley shape on your face will make you feel better. As listed in this great article, here are a few Benefits of Smiling: Smiling Changes Our Mood Smiling Is Contagious Smiling Relieves Stress Smiling Boosts Your Immune System Smiling Lowers Your Blood Pressure Smiling Releases Endorphins, Natural […]
Creating Emotional Impact
“A smile sent, will always return.” ~ Indian Proverb. What is your favorite movie of all time? Take a moment to think about this… The reason you chose this movie is not because of the facts it provided or its special effects, but because it had an emotional impact on you. It is the feelings we evoke in others that have a true, lasting impact. A feeling of inspiration, connection or fun create an inner resonance, memory and desire for more. And yet when we create projects, events or meetings, do we consider the emotional impact we want to have on the attendees / participants? Someone recently told me that the events that had the best turnouts and feedback were the ones where emotional impact […]
Simplicity is Best
“Doing nothing is happiness for children and misery for old men.” ~ Victor Hugo. Children’s needs are quite simple. Adults make them complex. As a society we are addicted to doing. There is a tremendous amount of guilt if we don’t do. We must be a good parent, friend, lover or co-worker. We must cook, clean, solve, fix, organize, drive, make, tear down etc. It never ends. “Children will not remember you for the material things you provided but for the feeling that you cherished them.” ~ Richard L. Evans In our need to do, we forget that while doing may provide for the physical needs of children, being supports the emotional needs. Here are some examples of being: Listen and connect with them – truly […]
Creative Connections
“Life is like a mirror, we get the best results when we smile at it.” ~ Unknown. However, this person clearly is yawning…why? She has heard the question, “How’s it going?” too many times today. We all do it, we ask and get asked the question multiple times a day. And what is the most common answer: “Good” or “Fine”. Blah! Part of living a playful life is to be spontaneous, creative, out of the box. As you go about your day, try something different when engaging friends, or even the woman working at the grocery check out. Perhaps ask: What’s been the highlight of your day so far? What has made you smile today/recently? Or even (and yes I do this regularly)… What is […]
Listening
“Deep listening is miraculous for both listener and speaker. When someone receives us with open-hearted, non-judging, intensely interested listening, our spirits expand.” ~ Sue Patton Thoele. 29 years old and listening for the first time We take our capacity to hear for granted. We’ve forgotten to savor and appreciate the rich diversity of sound continuously offered to us. Take time today to appreciate life’s endless melodies. Perhaps imagine this is the last time you hear this unique and precious sound. Be curious and notice its subtleties: is the sound wavy, crunchy, intense, whispery? What are its qualities? And when in conversation, notice how present you are. Are you listening, receiving their words and feelings, or lost in thought? I heard a statistic recently that mothers […]
Balanced Communication
Communication is a balance of giving and receiving, of sending out and allowing in. As you engage in conversations and conduct your Monday meetings, notice the balance between how much space you fill with your expertise, opinions and ideas, and how much room you allow others to share their own. How much are you speaking versus listening, being curious and waiting for others to share? Trust is knowing silence is ok. I don’t have to do it all, and that others, although quiet, have value to contribute. Trust is believing I have value to contribute, and that everyone, including my Self, deserves to hear my voice. Whatever side you default to on this conversation teeter-totter, your growth lies on the other end. Enjoy playing on […]
15 Ways to Support Children to Play with their Intuition ~ Engaging the Heart, Intelligence & Innocence of Children
“The best way to preserve a child’s vision is to let them see things their way rather than yours.” ~ Jacob Liberman. Intuition is… the knowing/sensing of something beyond time, space, reason, the use of prior knowledge and the five senses. It is the gateway to your soul. Intuition is your birthright. As children you freely connect to your intuition so naturally that you don’t even know it is intuition. It is an everyday awareness permeating your existence that you are intimately connected with and a part of. Life feels magical and your environment is filled with endless possibilities. It doesn’t take long before you lose this sense of presence and wonder. Soon you are more engaged in limited thinking and the responsibilities of life than […]
Love & Friendship
“Friendship isn’t about whom you have known the longest, it’s about those who came and never left your side.” ~Unknown. I couldn’t resist sending this to you today. Watching this video is a beautiful way to start the week. Have a wonderful Monday, rich with gratitude for the simple freedoms we have in our lives.