I’ve come to the conclusion that many people are serious and work to live. Is anyone thinking the same?
Do you know anyone who is playful and positive, who makes you want to be with them like a magnet?
Rewind…
For the past 50 odd years I’ve searched for this magical tribe. Well maybe a bit less because school was pretty playful up until that dreaded serious puberty stage where it was very cool to have the glummest face in the whole world!
Becoming a Playing Human and finding my tribe…
There was a turning point for me a couple of years ago. It was a beautiful summer’s morning and I was walking to the Playing Human Conference at Conway Hall in London. Picture me – dressed in bright rainbow clothes, making a hard attempt to smile and cheer up the serious London folk walking past me.
Suddenly behind me pops up a chap in a bright outfit with a tiger tail clipped to his trousers and a red mouth widener. He chirps to me in my ear “Are you off to play somewhere too?” I immediately smiled and laughed.
We walked joyously together to Conway Hall to gather with 100 or so other people, strangers, all wearing positive affirmations showing that they were indeed in this same playful, positive, vibrant tribe.
We all did the same thing that day – we laughed, played, sang, talked and played more. And the next day we did even more ending with a laughter meditation which was no way quiet! It filled the echoing hall with magic!
Keeping it going…
We, the playful tribe, were connected. We remain connected via the technology of social media. Playing and connection and expanding out of your comfort zone is the key to growing, to developing your creative brain, and growing as a person. Playing as adults takes skill to let go, losing inhibitions. Being with your tribe who do the same thing makes it a whole lot easier.
There’s a few people who I follow to keep me playing well (along with my Laughter Yoga colleagues of course!) – Gavin Oattes and Shonette Bason Wood. I’m off to read one of my favourite books now Play: How it Shapes the Brain by Stuart Brown.
I can’t wait to be a mad OAP Yippeedeedoodah!
