Peter Pan is one of my favorite fairy tales— pixie dust and magic, pirates and adventure, eternal childhood and games galore. When I was 12 years old, I desperately wanted to escape to Never Never Land. I used to stand at my window at night and plead for Peter Pan to take me away.
Even at 12, I had an idea of what it meant to grow up— no more fun, no more playing. Adults were expected to be serious. They had major responsibilities. And had to work hard. What kid would want to hang around for that? Not me! I wanted out. I wanted Never Never Land.
And even though deep down I knew there was no Never Never Land, there was another part of me that really, really, really wanted to believe.
You can probably guess that Peter Pan didn’t show up to whisk me away to a life of fun and freedom. It was disappointing, to say the least.
Life continued. I worked hard at school, worked hard as a waitress (but also had my friends and my fun). I worked hard at college, worked hard on my resume, and chose a profession that was as close to Never Never Land as I could get: the elementary school classroom.
Boy was I tricked! Our recesses got squeezed shorter and shorter, the curriculum crammed more and more into the day, and one vice principal even told me that I was spending too much time on “crafts” with my fourth-graders. Another time, I got called into the principal’s office for indulging my second-graders with ONE “naptime” which involved turning off the lights and reading our books on the floor for fifteen minutes. (They were nostalgic for the good ol’ days— who was I to deny them this simple pleasure???.)
In short, adults were sucking the fun out of life. Heaven forbid we “waste” our time and do something that’s not super productive or super serious. Heaven forbid we actually enjoy ourselves for a moment.
And then one day, this soul-sucking paradigm of drudgery and hustling collapsed within me. An already broken existence came crashing down and exposed the truth:
Humans are meant for play.
And not just in our childhood— throughout our entire lives.
How do I know this? Because what is the point and purpose of living if we aren’t going to enjoy it?
And also because scientists have studied play and discovered that it makes us more productive, more intelligent, more innovative, better learners, and healthier. Doesn’t sound like such a waste of time anymore, does it?
And here’s another reason to play: The opposite of play is depression.
When we’re not playing, we’re drowning in an ocean of responsibility and obligation and seriousness and mundane moments. Our inner child is huddled up in the corner, cold and alone. Our soul spark is barely flickering. It’s not good, not good at all.
We need play. We need to have fun and do what brings us joy. Otherwise, we sink into despair.
And honestly, the productivity and intelligence and all that play second fiddle to what I believe is most important: You deserve to enjoy your life. You deserve to have fun and play. It’s as simple as that.
Enjoy your life. Chase joy. Have fun. Play.
If all this is causing your mind to scream, But I don’t have TIME to play!!!… No worries. Baby steps, my dear. You can sneak play into your serious responsibilities.
Like taking care of your kids— it’s more fun for everyone involved if getting into the car becomes an adventure or taking a bath involves rescuing a stranded sea lion. Imagination is play.
At work, approach your tasks with curiosity and fun. And BONUS: When you’re playing, you’re working with increased efficiency and productivity because you’re no longer focused on anxious or negative thoughts. It’s seriously (and playfully) a win-win.
And when you’re ready to play for the sake of play, I’ve got ya covered! Get my list of 50 Fun Ideas to Spark Joy & Enjoy Life.
Hey there, fellow free spirit!
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