An Invitation To Play (or, “4-year-old Wisdom”)
A few years back, a family friend gave me a picture of myself at 4-years-old. It’s a summer picture— the summer before kindergarten. I’m wearing a grass green Big Bird t-shirt, leaning back against my cousin’s knees, holding her hands in mine. My bowl-like haircut is uneven across my forehead, accentuating my Mom’s home trimming of my brown bangs. I have a golden tan. My blue eyes, looking slightly to the left with anticipation, sparkle and dance above my red cheeks and giggle-infested smile. This is a snapshot of a child’s delight; an invitation to play and to remember that my bright-eyed 4-year-old girl still resides in me.
I now keep that picture in a frame by my bedside. When I glance her way, I am invited to play— she’s a helpful reminder that the state of play can bring qualities of joy, fun and adventure to the world, fostering that sense of balance we seek.
I think most people agree that recreation and play are essential ingredients to creating a balanced life. Yet, we often think of our recreational activities as the things we do in our “free-time”. We go camping, we play softball, we take guitar lessons, or we shuffle our kids to and from these activities. Though these pursuits can be enriching and fun, when I sense into the playful 4-year-old in me, I know there’s something more.
She peaks around the corner, expectantly, and wants to see and explore it all. Want to play? What’s that? What does it do? Where does it go? Where does it come from? Can I have it? What’s next? The 4-year-old in me embodies how play isn’t something we do but is the state of who we are (when we see the world through the window of our 4-year-old’s eyes).
What if you were to see the life around you as a playground? From this 4-year-old place, it can be. Writing a report, putting away the dishes, talking to a friend or driving down the road can suddenly become a wide-eyed 4-year-old’s playground. Play as structured recreational time can become play whenever-the-heck-you-wish.
Is the 4-year-old in you ready to come out and play? What does s/he have to say? (Mine’s saying, Can’t catch me!) What if it didn’t have to be hard to find time to play? What if you were to take a moment to look around the room right now and see it through the eyes of your 4-year-old? What if it only took but 15-seconds? You get the idea.
If you’re wanting more, read the list of suggested invitations below and add your own creations. Commit to practice one to three invitations daily this week. At the end of the week, you might ask yourself— What’s available to me from here? What does my 4-year-old have to teach me? What does s/he invite me to see? What am I learning about myself? What will keep this 4-year-old energy alive in me? How might s/he help me create my balanced life? Let’s play again!, says my 4-year-old. Enjoy.
Invitations to Play (or, ways to invite the 4-year-old in you to come out and play)
~ Take 15-seconds to see the world around you through the eyes of your 4-year-old…
• when you wake up in the morning and look around your room
• when cooking, driving, eating, mowing the lawn or answering the phone
• when playing with your children or others children
• when walking through the hardware store or grocery store
• when you notice other children around town
• when getting a haircut, walking the dog or swimming
• when watching a children’s movie or tv-show
• when riding your bike or taking a walk
• when kissing your significant other
• when you walk from your office desk to the restroom and back
• when taking a shower
• when opening your front door to go outside
• when you stop at a stop sign or stop light, or sit in traffic
• when…
Lori Stelling is a Life Coach, workshop facilitator, keynote speaker, cooperative games specialist, and former recreation supervisor. With a dynamic background in coaching, advanced Riso/Hudson Enneagram studies, and recreation, Lori brings a spirit of playfulness and depth to her work. She created her business, BlueWater Coaching, in 2004. www.bluewatercoaching.net
Email: lori@abalancedlifemag.com