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| Wings that light up and change colors? Heck ya! |
It was love at first sight.
On Monday I spied the color-changing wings on a guest at Disneyland.
I immediately coveted them.
The rational me said: What would I do with them? They aren’t practical for a professional adult. (I am pretty sure they are intended for children.) As with most Disney memorabilia—they’d be fun in the park, but then what?
Luckily, the playful me countered: WHO CARES?!
Playfulness partners with presence. It lives best in the now.
When I temporarily parted ways with my family to save spots for the parade, I happily (sneakily) purchased a pair of the wonderful wings, turned them on, attached them to my back, and waited an hour on Main Street by myself (and with the hundreds of others waiting for the parade).
When my family joined me, they smiled and laughed. They weren’t surprised at all.
When I am at my best, I am playful.
Dr. Brene Brown teaches that we need to take time to play in order to live better and work better. “Cultivating Playfulness” is one of her tenets of whole-hearted living.
The research of Dr. Stuart Brown, founder of the National Institute for Play (how can I work there?) concludes that play promotes mastery, helps us deal with difficulty, and is essential to the creative process, and job satisfaction.
I bring purposeful play into the training room. I have prompted executives to create giant bubbles on breaks, I set colorful fidget-widgets out on all tables (pre-Covid), and I find creative ways to insert play into long training days, no matter if the topic is customer service or conflict management.
And with great intention-- before I get dressed for a training day-- I choose something from my collection of playful jewelry, pins, and tokens as a reminder not to take myself so seriously.
Upon reflection, I guess I take playfulness seriously.
If you are hesitant to play, the research is clear: It’s a must for adults. We all have permission to play!
My questions for you are:
How do you cultivate playfulness in your personal life?
How about your professional life?
After all we've been through, let’s all commit to bringing more play to our lives this year. 🎉 🎉
For more on Play, check out this Disney post