Creativity. Fun. Laughter.
All are easy to lose in the day-to-day-busy-ness of our lives, particularly when we are entrepreneurs juggling our business and our family obligations.
However, I’m here to tell you that we need more creativity, more fun, and more laughter.
Rarely do we take time to slow down, breathe, and take a moment to explore something a little different; something that might make us smile, giggle, or actually snort. There is great value in laughing so hard you snort!
Over spring break, my youngest daughter invited me to join her for some imaginative play. She brought her action figures and we curled up on my bed. She started by passing me one of the action figures and inviting me to “play” with them. I was so out of my league (pun intended!)…
My mind was racing. How does one “play” with the action figures? How does one weave the stories to make the characters come to life? How could one create a story when one doesn’t know the basics about the characters?
My daughter was a master at imaginative play—the bar was set high. So I just let whatever came into my mind take flight. And it made her giggle. I was downright silly.
Batman and Spiderman were at odds with each other; Thor was bonking people on the head for being too soft; Captain America was ranting about state of American politics; and Iron Man was being silly, not smart.
I just simply stepped into being foolish, saying crazy things, and giggling along with her. It was the best 30 minutes of my week. I was relaxed. I was giggling with my little girl. I was truly connecting with her. And I had fun.
After our time playing, I came back to my office to finish a couple of things up. I’ve got to tell you: I was productive, I was creative, and I was happy. I wrapped up the items on my to-do list with a smile on my face. And I wasn’t stressed about not getting everything done.
Playing with my daughter—being silly and role-playing—changed the essence of the day. When I returned to my office, I was able to sweep away the cobwebs in the right side of the brain (the creative thinking side). It shifted my mindset from being overwhelmed by how much there is to do, to one of creative fun and abundance. What a treat!
I’m looking forward to playing with my daughter more … whether it is crafting a story with her action figures, challenging her to a competitive game of “Sorry!” or “Crazy 8s”, or simply cuddling up and responding to her jokes and “would you prefer to…?” questions. I’m going back to the basics to bring some fun and simple magic back into my daily routine.
What have you done recently that helped you step out of your daily routine and sparked some “fun” in your day? I’d love to hear, so leave a comment below!