When I was a child I loved to play.
On any given day you could find me happily:
š² Riding my blue bike furiously up and down the street. My rainbow-coloured handle-bar tassels and messy blond hair flying in the wind.
š Building elaborate doll houses (using scraps from my Dadās wood pile) for my beloved Barbie, Ken, and Skipper (Barbieās kid sister, who grew breasts when you pulled her arm!).š¬
š¶ Putting silly hats on my two Springer Spaniel dogs and taking pictures of them sitting on our picnic table. (Not before watching Genie, the mamma, slowly sink down into an unhappy heap! Poor thing didn’t like dress-up time.)
š¦ Racing barefoot down the rocky beaches of the west coast to look for crabs, beach glass, sea kelp, shells, heart-shaped rocks, and starfish.
Back then I lived in my imagination. And I felt alive and care-free.
Then, of course…
Life. Happened.
AKA school, 9-5 jobs, marriage, motherhood, divorce, single parenthood, financial stress, aging parents, grief, and loss.
Like many women, I spent a lot of time doing for others. And not enough for me.
There was no time to play.
And wasnāt play considered self-indulgent? A distraction from my real responsibilities?
(Or so I thought.)
But the last couple of years (as my son prepares to launch) Iāve come full circle.
Iām at a new chapter in my life. And Iām ready to play again!
Perhaps you are as well?
(Or maybe youāre just feelinā the urge to have more fun?)
If so, you might be askingā¦
Is play even possible at this stage?
Dr. Stuart Brown, founder of the National Institute for Play says a resounding YES!
“We are designed to to be lifelong players, built to benefit from play at any age.” ~ Dr. Stuart Brown
As the author of the book: “Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul”, Dr. Brown believes play is not only possible for adults…
It’s crucial to our well-being!
But here’s the thing…
Because weāre all different, how we play is different.
In other words…
What makes ME happy, might not make YOU happy!
So after years of research, Dr. Brown has identified 8 play personality types, to help us identify our own play preferences.
Yes, even in adulthood.
My play personality type is called “The Explorer.ā
(with a touch of “The Storyteller” and “The Kinesthete”)
Which explains soooo much! Itās why I love to learn, read books, take courses, travel, meet all kinds of people, sample new restaurants and foods, have deep, meaningful convos, and write these blogs!
It also explains why I chose fun and adventure as my words for 2023.
And why I get bored doing the same thing over and over.
(Iāve got a 3-year window before I tend to bail. Which I used to feel bad about. But not anymore! Because I’m a freakin’ ‘explorerā! š)
You can discover your own play personality type by…
Visiting Dr. Brown’s website at the National Institute of Play –> www.nifplay.org
The lesson here?
The more you allow yourself to be YOU ā and let go of being who you think you should be, and doing things you think you should do ā the happier youāll be!
So if youāve been craving more fun in your life, but need a little boost to get you startedā¦
Click here to discover your play personality type.
Then let me know in the comments below which one you are (I’d love to hear!) š
Cuz lifeās one big ole playground, my friend.
And it’s never too late to get out there, have more fun, and play!
In your own unique and special way.
Kerry xo