The image above has very significant meaning for me. When I was younger, my mom would take my siblings and I to Oakridge Centre after school and on weekends. And after dinner or snacks at A&W, sometimes I’d get one of these bars from Purdy’s Chocolates.

Over time, it became the place where I would go to wash away the worries of the day.

And maybe as a kid I didn’t have many things to worry about, but I don’t remember being happy as a kid most of the time.

Fast forward 28 or so years later, I may not be eating the same Purdy’s bar, but have found other ways to indulge myself when I’m not feeling so good (ice cream is still a go-to!). Last night I had a powerful coaching session with one of the founders of the self-development program (which I took in late 2013). I was telling her about having a hard year last year, but that I didn’t allow myself to feel bad so that I could keep trucking and working and wouldn’t have to deal with uncomfortable feelings.

We talked about a lot of possible solutions and next steps, but in essence we realized that what I need more of in my life is PLAY. And not just “planning” fun time or time to be with myself. Doing stuff that is actually fun and that fills my heart up or makes me smile.

I realized how much I lacked these things in my life last year – even in my work – and how important they are.

One of the reasons for more play was not just to eff around and avoid working or trying to have more “work-life balance”; it’s more about learning to feel and act more from that intuition so that even if un-ideal situations arise, I can allow myself to also feel those and then act from a place of wanting and creating real change. In fact, I came up with the idea of gamifying some of my work tasks so that they could be more fun instead of tedious, or more things on my to-do list.

I don’t know what I’m going to do that’s fun later today, but I am going to make time for SOMETHING. (Not knowing until the very moment I’m going to do it is part of the fun.)

Are you needing more play in your work or life too?

Re-posted from ConsciousPR.com

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