When you were little, you probably played with joyful abandonment! Your imagination soared as you transformed yourself on a regular basis. One day you were a princess. The next day might have found you playing cops and robbers. Instead of obsessing over your next meal, you toyed with your food and couldn't wait to finish eating so the fun could begin again. Never once did you doubt that your dreams would come true. The sky was the limit, and you were the star of your own show.
How quickly things changed! You became all too serious and self-conscious as you worried about looking foolish, being inconvenienced, embarrassing yourself, displeasing others, and being judged. Romping in the rain turned from a joyful experience to something that would make a mess, get you sick, and require you to do your hair all over again. Exercise changed from playing tag, taking dance lessons, or climbing hills to running on treadmills at the gym and keeping up in aerobics class, which you enjoy more if your body looks cute in spandex.
Whether it was making a fort out of sheets, blankets, and pieces of cardboard or changing Barbie's clothes to suit the occasion, your imagination knew no limits, and you entertained yourself for hours. You didn't feel guilty for "wasting" your time.
Are you feeling a bit of nostalgia? Well, it's about time you listen to your inner child. "Grown-up" doesn't have to mean lifeless. How do you reconnect with that imp inside of you who wants to have fun?
Follow these tips, and you'll be well on your way:
1. Make a list of playful things you'd love to do - dance, take a walk, read a book, watch a cartoon, ride a horse, learn a language, draw, paint, color, cook, listen to music, flirt - play can mean different things to different people.
2. Schedule time for fun into your calendar.
3. Make a decision to have one new experience each week.
4. Spend time with young children.
5. Ditch the self-consciousness - it no longer serves you!
6. Limit the amount of time you spend around gloom and doom - in the form of the news, television, other people, or your own thoughts.
7. Make a wish list!
8. Pursue your passions!
9. Make a mess!
10. Take time to daydream!
11. Have a pajama party!
12. Have fun and celebrate your life! It's the only one you have!
Copyright ? 2008 by Holly A. Cox, L.C.P.C., C.D.C.?
