Hi, Subscribers. This blog uses the power of Play to guide our daily lives. Play can help you grow personally and professionally and helps to power up your creativity, problem-solving skills, and overall well-being. Let’s set ourselves up for success and inspiration and remember to find joy in every step of our development.
It’s time for an accountability check-in. I’m going to start with the celebrations. I’ve made my first sale of my 30 Days to Connect calendar on Graphy. My sleep quality and quantity continue to improve and I have done my morning walk daily. I completed the training rollout. Also, I started drawing again and am doing a daily challenge with my mother-in-law to draw the same cup every day. Podge O’Conner gave me a new strategy to help with distraction. The challenge is to begin the day free from your phone for the first hour. The other part is to read a book without distractions for twenty minutes. I did the first part and walked without listening to a podcast. I noticed so many other sounds. I’m going to read a book later today. Are you going to try it out? Let me know in the comments. As far as my painting project, I’ve designed the first iteration. Normally once I put my thoughts down on paper, they have a greater chance of becoming reality.
This week, I’m going to use a random picture generator for inspiration. The pictures are from Pixabay and the creators are: Backpackerin, Alexas_Fotos, MemoryCatcher, and Ray_Shrewsberry. Picture descriptions are at the end of this blog.
What is happening? It appears that we are exploring our surroundings. The picture depicts a beautiful ice cavern with many arches and three tunnels in the distance. Based on the angle at which we are viewing the cave, I think we are above water, and I imagine we are in a boat and dressed appropriately to navigate. Do you see it differently? Maybe you are trudging through the water and cold. There may also be other options we can take if we turn around. Looking at this picture, I feel strongly compelled to continue forward. My son asked me if I wanted to play a game where you have to figure out the prompt. I answered honestly that I was not interested and then sat with the discomfort that it was more that I did not want to get it wrong and feel inadequate. I may pick the wrong tunnel in my exploration, but it does not mean failure. As you go through the week ahead, consider your setbacks data about what works and what does not. What’s the best that can happen?
What if I fail? These little wooden pieces have such a wide array of expressions. Does one stand out? The yellow laughing one is my mood at the moment since I’ve found so many things to laugh about today. Our emotions are complex and capricious. One moment, you are on top of the world, and the next, you want to give into despair. Feelings are not facts. My very wise friend told me, “Saying the UGLY TRUTH to ourselves does NOT mean living it.” Yesterday, my kid made dahl for dinner. It did not taste like my mom’s dahl but was very flavorful and aromatic. She decided that everyone hated it and that it belonged in the trash. When you feel the feelings, ask yourself, “Is this true?” When you feel like a failure, is that all you are? The definition of failure is “a lack of success.” Do you want a temporary moment to define your lifetime? I like to embrace the power of yet. I did not succeed versus I did not succeed “yet.” When I relaunched my 30 Day to Connect challenge, some people thought it was an app. Does it mean that I failed? No! In fact, that gives me feedback that perhaps my audience would be best served by an app. Some of the best insights come from failure. If you’re not failing, you’re not learning.
What don’t I know that I don’t know? This wooden bench is so much fun with the quirky galoshes feet. It’s a reminder that we don’t always have to do things the same way. A wooden bench should have wooden legs. Why? Why not galoshes legs? Those are more fun and stand out. How many products did you not know that you needed? We may laugh at them, but when you try them out, you wonder how you ever got along without them. I don’t think you know that you are awesome and perfect, just like you are. Because the you now is reading this is going to be different five minutes later. Future you will probably look back at you with a big old, “I told you so.” How many successful people do you know didn’t intend to be entrepreneurs? When I started my current day job, I did not expect to be there twenty-five years later in a completely different role. Your so-called failure is probably the beginning of a trajectory towards a new and exciting future. I’ve always appreciated it when life redirects me. (Not in the moment. In the moment, I’m kicking and screaming. 😊)
Finally, What is a way forward? A way, not the way. We made a choice back in the underground cavern. As we continued rowing in uncharted waters, we noticed a strange glow. The way was getting lighter and lighter. When we emerged, we were outside in a protected cove of rocks. The sky is blue and inviting. It is a good practice to rest and celebrate your milestones. You made it out of the cave! You can go back and explore where the other caverns may take you, or you can exit the boat and begin the next stage of your adventure. There are some green plants ahead. You could always potentially climb the rocks and see where that takes you. Again, there are no wrong steps. Some paths may be more arduous but could lead to a bigger reward. Some may be quiet and meandering. In the words of the immortal Aaliyah,
“And if at first you don't succeed (Oh) Then dust yourself off and try again You can dust it off and try again, try again”
Namaste
If you're looking to infuse more play into your life to navigate through the challenges, my current offerings are listed on my Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/thingstothinkabout. I also urge you to share your experiences and strategies with the community. Your voice is a valuable part of this journey, and your unique path can inspire others.
Picture Descriptions: An icy cavernous cave filled with water. Everything has an eerie blue light. Five playing pieces wearing little wigs, each painted with a funny expression. They are blue, green, red, yellow and white. A wooden bench with black galoshes for legs. A lake surrounded by rocks with a little path headed to sparse greenery against a blue sky with clouds.
