Are you playing enough ? :)
I first came across Stuart Brown’s work on ‘Play’ quite a while ago. The book came to mind recently as I connected some dots around play. I searched for the book online and there is a line which says: ‘our ability to play is the single most important factor in determining our success and happiness’. It’s fair to say the line connected with me in how I’m perhaps realising its importance, so I wanted to write this blog and ask the question: ‘Are you playing enough?’
My connection with play and the theme showing up in dreams
For those of you who have read my e-book you’ll be familiar with how I am interested in dream work and one of my recurring dreams being about playing video games, my main hobby when I was about 6 to 14 years of age.
It’s interesting I think while at the same time a bit sad how we can seemingly lose this ability to play.
I recently had a session with a Coach who helps me with life and business. We discussed how I’d like life to have been when I’m really old (if I reach it I guess). I didn’t really know other than somehow reaching potential which he reflected back was a background thing to say and not really saying how I’d be being so to speak.
Thinking more about the dreams I had lead me to dot joining around play. A search online lead me to ideas from the book again which were that play is the opposite of depression.
Creativity and play. An antidote to anxiety and depression?
Moving on from here I researched a bit into creativity and it’s link to play. There was an idea in a book by Martha Beck where she says that creativity is the opposite of anxiety.
With depression and anxiety being said to be two sides of the same coin could it be that we could make a significant improvement in terms of risk to both if we can incorporate play in our lives and mix this with being creative in whatever it is we are doing?
I’m getting the idea now that being playful puts you in a flow kind of space. It then seems that it can become a kind of well to overflow into creativity.
Moving forward with the themes of play and creativity
Just in the last weeks I’ve been serious about incorporating play into my life through the playing of video games. I remember how it all used to feel for me. There’s an amazing nostalgic feeling comes back too as I remember the excitement. It’s easy to be in in a ‘busy being busy’ space I think. I’m learning (I think) that by incorporating play I can create a kind of well where I can enjoy and be creative in my life and business.
So going back to the question from my Coach I work with, the best I can come up with is that I’d like when I’m old (if I get there) for life to have been one of play and creativity. This feels like a lovely empowering thing to step into. That’s my personal share mixed in but importantly for you I’d like you to really think about play. Are you playing enough ? What would play be for you ?
All the best
Phil
www.newbeginningstherapy.co.nz
philip@newbeginningstherapy.co.nz
021 058 3234