One of the magical things we can do to make our days better is to add a sense of playfulness into our approach to the world. Things don’t have to be great to see the world in a playful way. In fact, when things go haywire, a playful attitude can ease difficulties and help us to achieve what we set out to do.
Lately, I have been having technical difficulties. I create something, and it doesn’t get saved. I try to log in to websites, and my password doesn’t work. I get home from a trip to the USA, and my internet is broken. All of these things can be extremely frustrating; but when I apply a playful attitude, they seem easier to handle.
Sometimes I create stories and even though I try, they don’t get saved. I can let my imagination run – did a dragon gobble my story up to keep prying eyes from seeing their foibles? Or did an angel intervene to keep me from saving something not up to par? With my imagination, I can come up with several scenarios that make not saving the story an ok thing. Or, alternatively, I can make it a new game; how can I create something better than what I had before? Can I kick up my imagination to dream up new scenarios, making the story even more interesting?
Now, passwords are another thing entirely. Who doesn’t live in password hell? We try password managers; I have two and sometimes have to search both. I make it a search and destroy game – how fast can I find the right password; and how many iterations of the website with old saved passwords do I need to eliminate from my password manager app? Even here, a playful attitude can make everything lighter. Can someone invent the eye scan website activator, please?
After traveling for 24 hours, I was actually quite upset about not having internet when I arrived at my house. I was supposed to be in a meeting, and my cell service was not up to par, zoom kept dropping out. I was super frustrated, and also super tired. I did not apply a playful attitude, but at least I did not take my frustration out on the Vodafone assistant.
Today, I still do not have internet; but I can use my cell phone to hotspot my laptop; I am getting by. I can apply playfulness, making it a game to see how inventive I can be to use my time effectively. Such as writing a blog post offline, then copy and paste when online. Or writing my next book by speaking into an app on my phone; then copying it into the google drive doc when I have internet.
I can see this whole quarantine without internet as if I have been transported back to the 1890s and live in simpler times. If only I had costumes to dress up in, that would be extra fun! It is when we can see the things that happen with a lightness of being that we are given a gift of perspective.
May you be blessed.
Thank you!!1