Its easy to lose track of the importance of living. Playing is a huge part of that experience and instead of leading with work, leading with play enables a calmness and ability to reset making work an enjoyable experience. It is typical to do it in reserve; start with work and once it is finished you should reward with play. Sadly, the weight of the American Dream is an exhausting, all-consuming experience which requires endless energy leaving very little time and opportunity for little else except rest. But the reality is that the more play you integrate with your life, the less exhausting the work will be.
Play: Engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.
Work: Activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result.
Everyday I wake up to the sound of my daughters little pitter patter as she climbs into bed with me. I snuggle and play with her for about 15 minutes before we even think about getting out of bed. I call it our “cuddle time” and it some how creates a leveling in my brain. For me it doesn’t have to be a significant amount of time of play before getting down to brass tacks, but it needs to be foundational. With Iza in my arms I get lost in the moment and forget any responsibility we have other than our time together and it creates a clarity I wouldn’t have otherwise. When the alarm goes off and we know it is time to get breakfast and get ready for school and I start my work, it feels like I have already been rewarded. I work extra hard throughout the day because I am so grateful for the 15 uninterrupted minutes with my little girl.
