The Importance of Play By Michelle L. Casto

In the book, The Three Boxes of Life, Richard Bolles discusses the boxes of learning, working, and playing. He suggests that most people have pursued these dimensions in a linear sequence. First we learn, then we work, and then when we retire, we can finally play. His premise is that we should try to integrate all three elements thoughout our lifetime in order to achieve the most fulfillment

Conrad Hyers said, “We live in a society where even play is turned into work. But the highest existence is not work, the highest level of existence is play.” Play is extremely important to our happiness and well-being. For grown up adults, play is often viewed as frivolous or unnecessary, to be reserved only when the chores are done. Guess what--- the chores will never be completely done, so you may as well stop and enjoy the view, smell the roses, kiss your lover, and have more fun NOW.

With the American lifestyle of work, work, work, we often put off taking vacations or doing the fun stuff, saying, that we’ll get to it “someday.” Unfortunately, that day never seems to come, and when it finally does, we are so drained or burned-out that we can’t even enjoy it! I am hear to tell you that life is not all about work and no play! We need to bring more balance to our lives. And since summer is upon us, it is the perfect time to develop a new “philosophy of play.”

Summer time is meant to be fun time, evoking images of days spent at the beach, family picnics, and nights under the stars. The warm and blooming season of summer reminds us to honor ourselves and to do the things we like to do. The idea of summer is to wind down, sit back and relax, have some iced tea, and watch a sunset. It encourages us to be kind to ourselves, to give ourselves permission to “just be,” and to slow down our pace a bit. Once you learn to slow down, you rediscover what is really important to you. You can take time out of your busy schedule to reflect and make plans for the future you want to create.

My grandpa always used to say, “life is best enjoyed at a slow pace.” And the older I get, the more I understand what he meant. Life is short and if you are not careful, it will pass you by. During summer, we take more time to pay attention to the beauty of the sun and surf, to chase the bumblebees and butterflies, to get away from our everyday routines and strike out on adventures. We hang out with our friends and family, travel to new places, run, jump, swim, and laugh out loud. Oh, the lazy, hazy days of summer. If only it could last the whole year long.

It can. We can learn to take the attitude and freshness of summer and bring it into our minds, hearts, and habits for all four seasons. All we have to do is learn to bring more play into our everyday lives. Some benefits of play are that we open our heart’s wider, we notice more possibilities, we feel more alive, more relaxed. Play replenishes and revitalizes our human spirit. Here are 5 ways to be more playful:

1.Do kid-like activities. Play games, swing on the swingset, wrestle and romp, do a cartwheel or roll, practice a new dive. 2.Release pressure. Let go of heavy concerns, problems, or issues. Instead focus on being light, flexible, and stress-free. 3.Trust in the universe. Know that you can release the need to control everything in life, and that you will receive even more than you could hope for. 4.Hang out with playful people or animals. Borrow pets or children and spend time with them. Do the things they do, learn from them. They have so much to teach about the art of play. 5.Go somewhere new. Travel is a great way to pretend to be someone other than who you normally are. You can trade in your responsible role for one more fun. Since no one knows you, feel free to try different things---fishing, scuba diving, or horse back riding.

Play is an essential and important part of a happy and whole life. If you can take action each day to increase the amount of play you experience, you will get to know the real person behind all your roles and responsibilities, tap into your true nature, and begin to feel like a kid again. My grandpa would certainly approve!