Play is fun, carefree and exhilarating right? It’s what we like to do, even when it’s hard. It can be frustrating while we are learning but, we relax and keep trying for the thrill of accomplishment. According to the Encarta Dictionary on Word play means: (verb) to take part in an enjoyable activity. But…Is it also an attitude or an approach to life?

Normally I don’t watch commercials. Commercials are the in-between times I use to complete a myriad of tiny daily tasks while I’m watching the few guilty pleasures I enjoy, or catch up on the day’s events. This one commercial keeps catching my eye. It has a ball player asking another player to come over. The second player says no, he has to play. For some reason the statement niggled at the back of my brain for the last couple of weeks. I kept saying to myself: He’s working! That’s what he’s doing to earn his living. He’s not playing!

The recesses of my brain continued to work on the detail while I ignored it as best I could. I caught the commercial again last night and it hit me like the proverbial bolt of lightning. What was bothering me was not the commercial, it is the way I go through life. I work and then play on side when I can fit it in. Could work be play and can play be work? Is this a matter of changing my attitude towards my work? Something to think about…

Then I realized NO! It is something to do. It is about doing it. I looked again at the dictionary reference on the side of my document. Play and work are verbs. They are about action. Here’s what the sidebar has listed for play:

1. Engage in enjoyable activities (Enjoy!)
2. Take part in game or sport (Participate!)
3. Compete against somebody (even if it is you – Compete!)
4. Assign or have position on field (Your role)
5. Hit shot (Do it!)
6. Hit ball (Follow-through)
7. Use piece or card in game (Make a move)

The list continued with performance and word type definitions even a few romantic descriptions. But it seem to me they all boiled down to action. Even a play in a theatre has an action component. It’s not a play without the story or the actors.

Personally I’ve been working on the motivation of “Do It!” In other words, go for what I desire and the success I crave. Do It! I want more though. I realized I want to make what I do (no matter what it is) an enjoyable experience too. I want to play. I will not go to work. I will go play. This does not mean I won’t take my career and home seriously. Play can take some serious effort if you want to be really good at it (and I do). I want to be really good BUT, I want what I do to be enjoyable.

I plan to take you on this journey over the next few weeks to find out if an attitude shift, and different approach to the mundane, can somehow how make a shift in me. Let’s see if taking action, rather than thinking, will actually make a change. What will be the change? I don’t know.

My inner cynic says it’ll fail because it’s idiotic to think changing my focus from work to play will make any difference in the difficulties I face day-to-day. However, my inner cheerleader has this theory:

The attitude shift will change my perspective making me happier and less drained at the end of the day. I will be in less pain and better able to cope.

I’m putting my theory to the test! I shall see what happens and fill you in next week.

Let me know if you play or work in your daily activities. Have some Fun!  Milly