TIP #6- Explore the potential of your environment!

       So I was spending some down time at the mall a week or two ago, just walking through and people watching, and I noticed something quite interesting. I saw the usual hustle and bustle of the mall crowds, people getting to the stores they knew they wanted to go to or browsing with friends in the stores that intrigued them. People getting from point A to point B and noticing the space around them but focusing on the "task" at hand. Most were in pairs or groups and stuck very close together, some almost to the point of creating a perimeter for their group against any who would want to "invade" their space. Their awareness only stretching as far out as who might be in their way or what stores were nearby.

And then I began to notice the kids. Some running ahead of their parents, unaware of any concept of personal boundaries, much to the consternation of their parents trying to keep them close. Some playing tag with their siblings but always keeping an eye on where their parents or guardians were. Some were lagging behind their parents, struck in their own small way by the grandeur of the world around them. Some found the variations in the tile colors on the floor and began the game most of us know of only staying on one color because the other color tiles had become "lava".

It struck me that these kids had no predetermined "task" that they had to complete for themselves. They were free to expand their awareness outward to the point they began to explore the potential of the environment around them to see what fun they could have. The wide open space of this corner of the mall was not a place of danger where someone could snatch them up. It was a place of opportunity, separated from the crowded throngs of adult bodies.  The pillars no longer only served the purpose of holding the roof up, but they were now also cover from the impending hands of little sister chasing them  that could transfer that dangerous title of being "it".

TIP FOR THE DAY: Explore the potential of your immediate environment!

Take a few minutes today and just look at your immediate environment. Set aside the tasks at hand and what this place is usually used for. Force yourself to think outside of the box and imagine what this environment could be used for to have fun. Whether you are in an office and it could possibly be used for a mega game of Man Hunt, or a Starbucks and you could imagine filming an episode of Glee full of musical numbers with people standing on the tables, think of what this space COULD be.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER TO PLAY!

Tips for Grownups #5---Find something to marvel at for 5 mins every day!

There is a time in a child's life where they start to see the bigger picture. They start thinking about all the animals in the world, they try and count the stars, they think about the magnitude of things and how much bigger the world is to them. Their perspective begins to expand from their immediate surrounding and into the world at large.

 

 For some kids this is a put down at the shear enormity of the world. For others, this is a challenge. Somehow though, we as adults loose the idea that the world is so much bigger than us. We focus internally and we think we know everything about our world.

There really is no way to know EVERYTHING about the universe and the world around us. There is only one who could know that, and He (or She/They/It depending on what you believe) isn't talking. So why do we adults stop wondering about the world around us? Why do we stop asking the big questions of who/what/when/where and most importantly why?

Because we become jaded. This is no surprise to many, if not all of us. It becomes harder and harder to surprise us because we feel like we've seen it 100 times, or it doesn't concern us. "I've got more important things to worry about", or "Get your head out of the clouds" are the types of things we've all said or heard in our lives. But when we get a glimpse of a picture of some far away place, or of the night sky lit up in all it's splendor, we marvel and wonder in a way we haven't since we were kids. Then we let that feeling slip away, because "we have more important things to worry about."

I'm wondering why doing those "grown up" things have to always be more important than indulging our sense of wonder at the world around us. There are some who realize this and travel the world and really "live". But then there are some who get stuck in the 9-5 and never question what the view of the stars looks like from Mt. Fuji at midnight. Because why should they?  That doesn't concern them.

SO here is my Tip for Grownups for the day:

TIP #5-- Find something to marvel at for 5 mins every day!
Ask yourself why is the sky blue, or why is the grass green! Go to the planetarium and see the show on the universe. Find a way to learn more about something you've been curious about and just never gave yourself the time to learn. And it doesn't have to involve a trip to Mt. Fuji to see the stars at midnight. It could be just stepping out on your back porch and wondering which constellations you happen to be looking at. Or realizing on your drive home from work that the clouds look amazing in the setting sun and you pull over to spend 5 minutes to just enjoy the view. Turn off the "monkey brain" going through all of the things you need to get done once you get home or once you get to work tomorrow. Something you can do EVERYDAY is take 5 minutes to step outside, or away from your desk somehow, and just take in your environment. Is there something there you never noticed before? What does the wind REALLY feel like on your face? Are there any shapes in the clouds? What is the sunlight doing with the colors on the clouds? Find a way to take yourself out of the "monkey brain" that is telling you all of the things you need to get done and just clear your mind. It's OK if it is hard, because as adults our brains are solidified much more than children and it's harder to develop habits. But keep trying and see what you notice about the world around you!

And remember to PLAY!

Tip for Grown Ups #4- WOW 3 YEARS LATER!

So holy smokes finding this after almost three years!! It was good looking back at the last three posts and remembering why I started this blog. I'm stuck in a basic 9-5 job, stuck on the hamster wheel that is paying bills, and any number of mundane things that hold us back from enjoying life. Not saying that I don't enjoy life though. I've got great friends, great family, and a great non-work passion : DUST TO DUST: A BRIEF HISTORY OF RELIGIOUS VIOLENCE. (yeah shameless plug!)

 

It's always an uplifting thing for me when I stumble across things from the old days like this blog. Seeing where I was, realizing how far I've come. A friend was just talking to me last night and pointing out some great things in my life at a time when I was really being down on myself.

 

I was recently introduced to the Dreamworks Pictures movie "Rise of the Guardians".

(picture property of Dreamworks)

 

I know it's an animated movie, but sometimes these kids movies are more important for us adults to watch. Since for some, the message needs to be a bit more blunt or obvious to get through our thick adult skulls.

 

In the movie we meet Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, and Jack Frost. Each is a guardian of children in some way. Santa provides and protects the wonder in children, Easter bunny protects the hope, Sandman the dreams. I was trying to understand what the Tooth Fairy protects, and I guess it has to be the memories of childhood (since that is what she explicitly explains to Jack as a part of the plot line.) She explains to Jack that it isn't the Teeth they collect that is important, but the memories they hold. They protect the teeth because when we need help remembering what is truly important, they help us. So basically what they say is that what is truly important to remember are the memories of childhood.

 

So here is the tip for today, :

TIP #4- REMEMBER WHAT IS TRULY IMPORTANT. Take a moment today or in the next few days and look back at old pictures of yourself. From college, or high school, or even elementary school. Look at what you were doing 10-20-30 years ago and see how far you've come. See what you valued back then and think about why that has changed. What was your favorite childhood memory? Take a moment to breath today and think on that.

 

 

And always remember to PLAY!

Tip for Grownups #3 FRAGGLE ROCK!

Sorry for the absence yesterday. What I want to try and do is make a new post once a day. So unfortunately I missed yesterday. Still trying to get into the hang of doing these things consistently. ;-)

 

Do you remember any of the shows you watched as a kid? The Saturday morning cartoons? The sitcoms in the evening sitting in the living room with your parents? There is something about those shows that bring us right back to when we were first watching them. Things like Happy Days to the original Transformers cartoon. Hanna Barbara cartoons to the Smurfs. Dinosaurs to Captain Planet. Starsky and Hutch to the old Dungeons and Dragons cartoon. The shows we forgot we watched, and then we are reminded of them.

 

Recently I've been on a crazy comic book hero kick. I've been delving into whatever I can learn (or remember) about everything from X-men to Superman to Batman. With the Smallville season premiere coming up (the 10th and final season), I've been trying to catch up on all that I've missed. I use to watch the show in middle school and high school and now that the show is ending, I'm trying to catch up on what I missed. I use to also watch those cartoons when I was a kid. The old Superman, Batman, X-Men cartoons. The Batman where Mark Hamill was the joker. The Superman cartoon just before the Justice League cartoons started coming out. The old 80s X-Men cartoon. And who could forget Animaniacs? Or The New Adventures of Lois and Clark? 

If sight and smell can connect our memories to a specific time and place, then why wouldn't these old TV shows bring us back to that time in our lives? The shows we watched as kids can bring us right back to that time when we thought we could be Wonder Woman or The Green Lantern. The Halloween costumes we use to wear.

TIP FOR THE DAY: Go out online and try to find one of those old shows you use to watch. Hulu is an awesome site. Also, if you type in online TV shows for free on google, a bunch of different sites will probably come up. Not all of them are as easy and point and click, but sometimes you never know what you could find. Netflix is also good for this. With cheap plans from 4.99 a month for movies in your mailbox, who could ask for more? And with all of those new Smart Phones with video capability and the Ipod Touches where you can download things instantly, there really is not end to where you can find those shows that make you feel like a kid again. Find that show, and watch whatever you can of it. It'll be a great break in the week. And who knows, you might even want to dress up like your favorite character by Halloween!

So don't forget to go out and have fun grown ups!

AND REMEMBER TO PLAY!!!!

Tip for Grownups #2 PUPPY!!!!!!!!!

Animals are one of the things that can bring out the kid in all of us. Sometimes in a good way, some times in a not so good way. Whether it is a cute puppy at the pet store, or a video online of a reindeer stealing a man's wife (click here to see!). Whether it is the fear of snakes or the fear of all animals in general. The way animals behave just fascinates and scares us like few other things today.

 

We see a cute puppy at a store and most people (even the cutest puppy could melt the toughest heart) will instantly up the "AWWW" factor. Or for some people, they see a flock of pigeons on the sidewalk and feel the fear of birds push them to the opposite side of the street. Somehow animals bring out the happy kid or scared child in all of us. 

And it's been proven that touching an animal can improve your mood! Dogs and cats have been used for nursing homes for years to improve the quality of life for the elderly. The Red Cross brings dogs to visit soldiers who haven't been home for a while to give them that little bit of humanity. Dolphins have been helping people with disabilities for years, sparking that wonder in the gentle giants of the sea.

When I woke up this morning, I found my dog wanted to play. I instantly went into play mode with him and got him all sorts of fired up. He was scrambling up the stairs, leaping into the air, leaping across the bed (he's a boarder collie, so for those who know, you know how fast that is) , and egging him on was so much fun because he just looked so crazy. I had woken up with a big headache and the desire to get back in bed under those nice warm covers. But the moment he jumped up, I felt instantly better and was smiling by the end. Animals just have the ability to change your mood  that way.

TIP FOR THE DAY: take a moment to giggle at or interact with an animal. Whether it is your pet at home, or looking online at funny cat videos. I know looking at Ninja Chipmunk vs. Cat or Surprised Kitty 
always makes me smile. But icanhascheezburger.com/ and ihasahotdog.com/ always makes me smile. So have fun grown ups! Take a moment to pet or laugh at an animal. It'll make ya smile, I swears!

AND DON'T FORGET TO PLAY!!!

Tip for grownups #1 What is "Play"?

Hi. What is "play"? Kids and grown ups have two very different definitions. For grown ups, playing is going out for the night, spending lots of money, maybe getting drunk with some friends, having a frisky weekend with that special someone, etc. You type in "Adult Play" in google and you get a bunch of sexy sites and role play costumes. 

 

But for kids, play could mean any number of a hundred or more different things. Playing could be going outside and having a game of tag with their friends. Play could be building the tallest skyscraper in the world out of Legos. Play could just simply be going outside and watching the clouds  and seeing what shapes there are. 

(Picture thanks to pbskids.org)

When was the last time you did any of this?!

This is what my blog is going to be about. This is going to be a series of tips and stories for adults and "PLAY!"

Something I like to do every day,  during my lunch break from my basic 9-5 in front of a computer job where almost everyone around me still gossips like they are in High School, is I like to go for a walk. I walk in the sunshine with my mp3 player playing some of my favorite upbeat-singing-and-dancing music and I eat my lunch as I walk. I don't even think about the people around me or if I look like a doofus. Because they don't matter. They don't know me, I don't know them. So I walk, I eat my lunch, and if the mood so strikes, I dance. I sing. For that half hour in the sun, I revel in the fact that for this moment I am not worrying about what outfit I wore to work and I just dance.

TIP FOR THE DAY:  Take 30 minutes in your day to just listen to some of your favorite music and just dance.  Even if you don't know any dance moves, just let your body move to the music in any way you feel. Don't worry about who is around you, don't worry about what others think because the people who care don't matter and the people who matter don't care. They might even join you. It'll improve your day, I swear! Let those pesky inhibitions go, don't even worry about getting drunk to let them go. Just let loose!! Even if it's just in your living room, your bed room, where no one can see. OR even in the middle of a crowded street. So take the time to dance a little today. You'll feel better!!

AND REMEMBER TO PLAY!! ;-)