Once upon a time, there was a girl who struggled to fit into society. She didn’t realize it at the time, but it was almost as if she was a piece that belonged to another puzzle. No matter where she tried to fit, her curves just wouldn’t quite match.
Other people her age were settling into relationships and mortgages and pregnancies. She stuck most of her belongings into a storage unit and flew to the other side of the world.
Other people her age were concerned with health benefits and 401k plans and retirement accounts. She spent her earnings backpacking around southeast Asia.
Something was wrong with this irresponsible dreamer. She just didn’t get it, they said. She just didn’t understand that you needed to settle and slog in life. That’s how it worked, after all.
What they didn’t understand was that she simply belonged to another puzzle. While their puzzle was filled with alarm clocks and business suits and cages, her puzzle was made of dreams and joy. Images of adventure, freedom, and awe adorned the pieces of her puzzle. If puzzles had titles, hers would be called “Play.”
You see, her heart was filled with curiosity and wonder. Her heart yearned for exotic sights and sounds and tastes. Her heart felt the deepest delight when she was romping around exploring the world.
What they didn’t understand was that they actually didn’t fit into this puzzle, either. None of us are meant to fit in a puzzle devoid of joy. We are, in fact, all pieces from puzzles full of play.
What type of puzzle piece are you?
Truth be told, the girl’s puzzle was not the only puzzle titled “Play.” The girl’s puzzle honored the adventurer in her heart, the most joyful part of her playful personality. Your puzzle celebrates the type of play that most delights your heart.
Maybe your puzzle has pictures of basketballs and football fields and sneakers. Maybe your puzzle is filled with paint brushes and thread and pretty patterns.
Dr. Stuart Brown, author of Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul, calls them “play personalities.” Most of us are a mix of these play personalities, but we all have a type of play that most delights our heart (and where our puzzle piece most belongs).
Which puzzle piece are YOU?
1// Artist/Creator
Artists/creators enjoy making things. It can be something artistic or practical, something beautiful or silly. Making also includes inventing and fixing things.
2// Collector
Collectors enjoy having the most, the best, or the most interesting collection. Collections can be objects or experiences. Anything and everything, from feathers to passport stamps, is fair game.
3// Competitor
Competitors enjoy games with specific rules, and they play to win. The game can be solitary or social, and games can be actively participated in or observed as a fan. Whether they’re playing or watching, they’re aiming for first place.
4// Director
Directors enjoy planning and executing scenes and events. They love the power that comes from being in charge (although they might not realize it). Organizing comes naturally.
5// Explorer
Explorers like exploring the world around them. Exploring can be literally traveling to new places, but it can also be emotional or mental.
6// Joker
Jokers are all about making people laugh. They have the most fun engaging in nonsense and foolishness. Jokers are often the class clowns in school, and as an adult, they find practical jokes hilarious.
7// Kinesthete
Kinesthetes like to move. They love the feel of moving their body. While they might participate in organized sports,their main focus isn’t the competition— it’s the opportunity to move.
8// Storyteller
Storytellers are all about imagination. They create stories, but they also enjoy hearing them (and even make themselves part of the story). With their imagination, storytellers can bring play to almost any activity.
Once upon a time, there lived many adults. They were taught that life was all about seriousness and responsibility and obligation, but one day they realized this was wrong. They realized they didn’t have to keep cramming their piece into a grey and gloomy puzzle; they could choose again. They could choose a puzzle full of wonder and joy and delight. They could choose to play.
Hey there, fellow free spirit!
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