What if today I let it be play instead? by Audrey Thompson

#25 of 101 invitations to grow, change, and make room for more goodness in your life, starting this very day

We typically view work as hard and stressful, and play as easy and restful. We delay play’s healthful effects until a proper time of “after the work is done.”

So we put our nose to the grindstone, bend to the task, lean into the effort — all metaphors for keeping the “hard” in work to the point where our mind clamps onto a single idea, our body stresses over the task, and our spirit becomes rigid and unhappy and grudging.

When parts of our day seem like a drudgery, we can invite the elasticity of play to transform our work. A playful outlook can relax the body and protect it from harm. A playful state of mind opens us to novel thinking.

What if, today, you let it be play instead of a chore?

How could you approach this situation as a child might, eager to discover what is special about this task? What novel approach to its completion, or your attitude about it, reveals itself?

Tips for engaging with the power of this question

If this “What if, today, I…?” question intrigues you, irritates you, gives you butterflies, or shivers your skin, then pay attention: it holds an answer that points your way through a problem.

There is no right or wrong way to engage with this gift, but four simple steps can help:

1. Jot down a situation you’d like to apply this question to. Optional: Also rate your current feelings about the situation — sadness, anger, fear, and/or happiness — on a scale of 1 to 10 for each emotion.

2. Take time to view the situation in light of the question. For example:

• Meditate on the question in quiet.
• Follow it as if it is guidance from a good friend.
• Post it on your bathroom mirror and think about it every morning for a week.
• Include it as a leading question in a visualization practice, to reveal and understand your next step.
• Share and discuss it with others in a weekly “What if, today, I…?” club.
• Explore your options around the question with a trusted colleague or family member.
• Apply it as the day’s mantra.
• Ask it of a younger person and pay attention to the answer.
• Use it as a prayer in seeking a decision that serves you best.
• Ask it of your dreams before you sleep and write down any answers as soon as you wake up.

3. After sitting with this question for a while, record any new perspective, insights, or emotional shifts you’ve gained from your exploration. Optional: Once again rate your current level of sadness, anger, fear, and/or happiness about the situation on a scale of 1 to 10, noting any differences from when you started.

4. As needed, repeat the process over time until you reach a greater sense of clarity and emotional equilibrium around the situation. If this “What if, today, I…?” question really hits home, stay with it for several days, a month, or for as long as it has meaning and freshness.

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