Imagining a playful world

how do we add more play into our lives?

When I was contemplating my week on playfulness I figured that I had created some seriousness on this theme. This had made it difficult to be playful. And while I started to beat myself up for not being playful enough I realised I am playful too, but it doesn’t always come easy.

What is playfulness?

One of the online dictionaries I asked for help told me that playfulness is:

the quality of being light-hearted or full of fun.

And I truly believe that light-hearted people do have more fun. I even realise that in the times I am light-hearted (which means that I don’t worry about things, I let go of control and trust that all will unfold in the best possible way for me) the world seems like a great place to be. But when I loose my playfulness and step into wanting to control it all the world doesn’t look like a fun place to be.

Imagining a playful world

When I imagine a world full of playfulness I come up with things like laughter, having fun, less rules and less control. I would also see a world in which we work and play more freely. With an open mind, allowing ourselves to make mistakes and laugh about it.

Playful learning

Since we went to school we learned how to behave. We learned to sit behind our desks and learn things following the structures that were created. But this isn’t necessarily the best way for all of us to learn. When we bring more play into the school system and let children, teenagers and students learn according to their personal needs instead of the needs of the system, we create a society that is open to change and flexibility. And we become more self supporting. When you’re used to following the paths that are well paved, you’ll never find yourself challenging the system. Following the rules and systems gives a strong appeal to being a perfectionist in the learning process.

Allowing failure

When we allow ourselves to make mistakes, we will be able to see that there is no harm in making them. I mean have you ever learned to ride a bicycle or learn how to ski?

You can’t learn this without falling or failing.

I smile at all the times I fell while I was learning how to ski. There was a particular moment where I was sliding down a black slope on my stomach. One ski still attached to my shoe, the other one somewhere on the slope where I couldn’t reach it anymore. I screamed and was so angry at myself (that I wasn’t yet able to go down on my ski’s in a perfect line), at my friends (who were able to go down smoothly), at the snow (that was icy), at the slope (that was way to steep for me at that moment) and at my partner (who let me end up there). If I would have been able to play, I would have screamed cries of joy instead of tears of shame and pain. Now it was just a lot of embarrassment about my failure to get down as I thought I should.

Smiling at failure is just making everything more fun. It’s just not normal to be good at something you haven’t done before, except when you are a natural at something. And then it comes back to talent and doing the things you love and enjoy!

Less rules and regulations

This week I had to go to some offices to get the papers ready for my new car. This seems quite a hassle in Greece, especially when you’re new to the system. So the whole joy of having a new car was a bit overthrown with worries about whether I could ever get the papers ready. In the offices they are very strict, and they want you to follow their rules. Which I understand, but it also got me thinking. Why would I not be allowed to drive without papers, why can’t we just buy and sell cars without all the rules. Not because of the hassle to deal with the paperwork (because I know I’ll fix it one day) but just to let go of all these rules that are created. Nothing in life seems to be easy and free anymore. Being playful for me means less rules and more freedom in doing the things you want to do.

Workdays full of play

What would happen if you would add play to your workday? How would you approach certain aspects of your work? Would you be sitting behind your desk or computer all day? Or would you go out and play to find answers to solutions. Most of the time, solutions don’t come at a moment that you find yourself behind a desk. They always come to you in the shower or during a walk.

When you have a job where you meet people all day, I can imagine it would be a lot more fun when you approach them light-hearted or in a funny way. I mean look at this flight attendant giving a funny presentation of the safety measures. Brings a smile to your day doesn’t it?

Playful movement

Since a couple of months I have started to enjoy playing with moving my body in new ways. Years ago I started my yoga training and have always been attracted to the movement. But when I started movement medicine (a type of dance in which you move your body according to its needs), I realised I can move my body in all kinds of ways. And it gave me more freedom in my daily movements. In Casa Lucia (where I am currently living) I follow classes that are called ensoma.
It’s a class in which you move freely and teach your body how to move in a different way. Since I started the classes it makes me more playful in my movements. But I realise at the moment I only feel the freedom to move playfully when no one can see it (or when I am in a class with like minded people). Because I always think that people will think something about me when I move my body in a way I’m not supposed to in public. It’s something I would love to change, so sometimes I try this when I feel good and don’t care ;-)

More play means less stress

In a world where we approach everything light-hearted and full of fun I think we can live more freely and joyfully. We would experience less stress because we enjoy everything we do. We laugh more which creates all kinds of good hormones in our body.

So to end this week of playfulness I am again adding more fun in everything I do, whomever I’m with, wherever I am, whatever I am doing, whoever can see me.

I love to hear your vision on playfulness and suggestions on how we can play more!

Have a great day!

Lots of love,