14 Play Values
Play Value #1 ~ Permission To truly enjoy the playground of life, the first place to start is giving yourself permission to be playful. Permission is an affirmation that it is safe for our inner child to come out and play. For many of us this was not the case growing up, and so the path of remembering to play may not be easy at first. Compounded with many years of being a serious adult with responsibilities, it’s no wonder play has lost its place in our heart. But it’s still there, and with our permission we can allow our inner child to have a voice once again. Play Value #2 ~ Presence Play is a practice of being present. Have you ever noticed how […]
Your Eternal Play State
“The masters in the art of living make little distinction between their work and their play, their labor and their leisure, their minds and their bodies, their information, their recreation, their love and their religion. They hardly know which is which, they simply pursue their vision of excellence at whatever they do, leaving others to decide whether they are working or playing.” ~ James Michener. Summer is often associated with a time of play. This is when many of us take our holidays and the warmer weather invites us to partake in a variety of outdoor activities. Yet as the summer winds down, I often notice a reluctance to leave the fun and sun. I can hear the distant raindrops of September coming my way, […]
Creating Your Play Day
“Humanity has advanced, when it has advanced, not because it has been sober, responsible, and cautious, but because it has been playful, rebellious, and immature.” ~ Tom Robbins, novelist. A simple way to stay connected to your play state is to have regular play days. Play days can be experienced on your own or with friends and loved ones. The key is that you are doing what you love, feeling joy and activating your play state. Here are a few ideas for you: Solo Intuitive Play Day: If on your own, spend a day being completely intuitive. Walk or drive without any set destination. Make choices of where to turn, what to observe, what to do based fully on how you feel in the moment. […]
Relinquishing the Planner
“If you are open to new possibilities in your life, then that alone will give you access to those possibilities – readiness is all.” ~ Deepak Chopra. Remembering to trust and embrace the present moment. Remembering to trust and embrace your Self. I was driving home from a great day of skiing and decided to stop off at a grocery store to pick up two bags of food. As I parked my car, my mind began wondering how I was going to take my skis and bags out of the car, free my hands to shut the trunk, and go to my apartment in one trip instead of two. I thought and planned and wondered and even stressed a bit! Oh, the stress of two […]
Co-Create Dirt Pie
And then… Co-creation is based in the Spirit of Yes And, which means Yes to you And to me. And the spirit of Yes And means, among other things, to Play Along and Create From. A fun way to play along with others in a co-creative spirit is to use a version of Yes And called And then… Imagine you come home from work and your children say to you, “What’s for dinner mommy?” Instead of the usual response of saying what you are actually cooking, try something a little playful and creative. “Well,” you could say, “I’m going to make a dirt pie. I’m thinking of adding a few sticks to it. What else could we add?” Your child may then say, “We could […]
Conscious Communication ~ Getting the Best out of Other & Ourselves
“Listening may be the most powerful statement a person can make.” ~ Dr. Mardy Grothe What is conscious communication? Conscious means aware. Conscious communication is communicating from an awareness of who you are and the impact you are having and want to have, as well as an awareness of what people really want, and how they can best be supported. Conscious communication begins with being aware of whether we are speaking from our heart and intuition, or our fears and doubts. Are we speaking from our own past experiences and then projecting them onto the person in front of us, or are we really open to the uniqueness and possibilities that exist in every encounter? When beginning the path of conscious communication a simple place […]
Finding Creativity & Purpose in the Messiness of Life
“…again out of destruction a new spirit of creativity arises.” ~ Werner Sombart. A workshop participant recently shared a wonderful story. She was participating in a family day with her sister and many children. The children had spent a lot of time diligently preparing a very large bowl of chocolate pudding. When it was time to eat it, one of the children proceeded to take the bowl out of the fridge. Suddenly, the bowl slipped out of his hands and the pudding splattered all over the floor. Now as the adult in this situation it is easy to react with shock, upset or even reproach. However, the wise sister had a much more creative response. Without missing a beat she shouted, “Finger painting!” Of course […]
The Spirit of Yes And
Yes But sees Limitations. Yes And sees Possibilities. But Separates. And Joins. We live in a society that is well trained to say Yes But. We are more conditioned to see limits than possibilities. Saying Yes is respecting your, or someone else’s, feeling, idea or circumstance and being open to what it may have to offer. It is about acknowledging, appreciating and including without judgement, without the need to fix, and without even the need to agree. Saying And is finding creative ways to build upon it and then playfully seeing where it goes. There is no aliveness or potential in Yes But. It keeps us in the proverbial box and living in the status quo. The adventure of life begins when we take the […]