Yes it is possible!
In the early afternoon of a hot summer day, I was playing in my room and began to hear raindrops on my bedroom window. This was followed by my mother’s screams echoing throughout the house.
“Staci, get your swimsuit on, it’s time for cooking!”
At this point with nine years of life under my belt, I had learned that my mom was usually up to something. Mom had such a way of making the most ordinary situation in life very magical, despite my dad dying and leaving her with 5 kids to raise and no money.
Most days she carried a big smile on her face that reassured me daily that life was good!
Mom appeared in my bedroom doorway dressed in a swimming suit of her own.
“Come on, we have to get the mud pies baked before the rain stops!”
I immediately dropped my Barbie and scrambled for my swim suit. She took my hand, and together we made a mad dash to the backyard, pausing briefly in the kitchen for supplies, which consisted of a stack of pie tins, a bowl, and some wooden spoons.
Outside, the rain clouds thundered and rain poured from the sky as Mom and I sang and danced.
We played ring-around-the-rosie, made up silly tunes of our own, and dug our toes in the mud while the rain continued to wet the ground.
Oh, and then there were the mud pies we placed on the swing to cook!
All at once, Mom grabbed one of the pies off the swing and threw handfuls of mud pie at me, I suppose for a taste test.
The mud fight was on! Mud was flying everywhere. The aftermath was that Mom and I were covered head to toe! More than 40 years later, this is still one of my favorite memories of my mom and my childhood. I have memories like this with my own kids, and now grandkids, that I am so thankful for!
I have come to realize my mom taught me more than just how to make mud pies. She showed me how to enjoy life; even when it was punching me in the gut!
What happens to us adults when we become sophisticated, respected and proper?
You know…when we begin to demand that we shouldn’t have a hair out of place.
Our nails must be manicured, the house should be clean, the kids being on time and perfect are a representation of our parenting skills. Dinners are made from scratch and on the table by 6 p.m., the bills are paid, we are square with the tax man, our inboxes are cleaned out, the grass is mowed, the garden is watered, our investments are tracked and thriving, blah blah blah…
Don’t get us wrong. These are all good things, however...
Don’t you think it is time to stop and ask ourselves, “Where is the fun, the joy, the delight life has to offer?!”
It is so easy for us adults to forget that it is these emotions that have the power to calm our fears and anxieties, forge deep connections and purposeful memories with those we love, and remind ourselves that life is good!
Today, more than 40 million adults suffer from anxiety each year and rising. Another 15 million American adults suffer from depression, and guess what, that number rising too! (source)
So, it all starts to make perfect sense why, now, more than ever, we struggle to maintain strong, vibrant and emotionally satisfying relationships. Creating and maintaining meaningful relationships becomes a tall order when we ourselves are internally a hot mess!
It is about reconnecting and giving ourselves permission to play once again.
You know, play…that thing you used to do when you were younger and less sophisticated and responsible!
I am here today to shake you up and introduce you to the idea of taking time for PLAY in your life!
Permission to play will give your life new meaning, put a smile on your face again, and improve your relationships both with yourself and others!
Don’t take my word for it, try it!
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Here are a few ideas to get you started, and get 20 more of our favorites here:
- Roll down the windows and let the wind mess up your hair.
- Try and catch the wind with your hands.
- Play hopscotch.
- Jump rope.
- Give someone a huge hug and a sloppy kiss.
- Dance, like you’re on stage and the crowd is going wild!
- Remember those notes you would write when you were a kid and slip under the door? Write one!
- Speak in Pig Latin…don’t know how? It’s just gibberish so make it up and pretend to have a conversation!
- Do a happy dance when you succeed or win or at something.
Now that you’ve had a chance to review our suggestions, it’s your turn!
Do yourself a huge favor and create a list of the things you did for “play” as a child. Then, look at the list with your adult eyes. Do you miss any of these things? How can you incorporate them in your life today? There may be the things you want to do with your own children or nieces or nephews. Or perhaps you want to savor one of these fun play activities all on your own.
However, they show up for you, invite them back into your life!
To continue your journey of igniting more love, joy and delight in your life, you simply must check out our Daily Dose Of Love Community!
It is a community that refuses to experience another day that does not have the magic to make life GOOD, and let the feelings of love thrive!