Having A Playful Heart

When you think about the term "play", most people would probably think of something that children do, as the most likely definition that they relate to.  If you did think about children and laughter when thinking about this term, then it probably brought a smile to your face as you could immediately recall a child that exhibited this behavior.  Nothing can cheer a person up more quickly than hearing the laughter of children as it causes intrinsic joy to anyone around them.  Most of us adults tend to lose the connection to being able to play, due to the sometimes chaotic world that we live in. If you were to meditate for a moment and think back to your childhood, to a time where you experienced such pure happiness that play and laughter were bound together as part of a great transcendent formula, I am sure that this too would bring some more happy memories of your distant past.  When I hear about the people that I know that are either retired or are older than me who have that great zest for life, I can tell you that playing is part of their daily routine.  This is why I find it is so important for us as adults and at any age, to contemplate where we are with regards to how we exhibit and attract joy to our lives.  If you look for things that bring you happiness and are diligent about finding them daily, one will eventually fulfill that which they set out to do.  Everyone has a to-do list that they follow or create as part of their daily schedule, so why not include some periods through out the day to look for those moments that bring you sheer joy.  As an example this morning while I was out taking a walk, I came upon some drawings made of chalk that were drawn on a bike path prior to a hilly area where it becomes tougher to keep up a good pace.  The drawing included a picture of a snail with the words, "here we go",  right next to the smiling snail.  I can tell you that in that moment looking at that message made me smile and brought me a dose of joy as this is an area where one has to normally put their biggest effort into climbing.  For someone else who may struggle with that particular area made the potential hurdle turn into a smiling moment for many of us.  This was a simple reminder that joy and happiness does not have to come via a grand gesture or act.  The experience can manifest itself such as a simple drawing made of chalk.  As your days quickly fill up ahead, remind yourself to look for those opportunities where you can find moments of joy, silliness and laughter that can boost your energy as you think about the many wonderful things that are going right in your life.  Seek out those moments and make a small list daily of those things that brought a smile to your face.  You will find that as your list becomes a bit longer, you will realize that you have a lot more happiness in your life than you actually are aware of.