“We are always the same age inside.” Gertrude Stein

I Don’t Wanna Grow Up: How To Play Like a Big Kid

As you take a look at your daily planner, do you see a day full of meetings, presentations, conference calls, lunch dates, and getting your oil changed? Play time is no where to be seen, where did all the fun go?

Do you remember the days of never ending games of hide and go seek? The whole day was basically play time. We also had the luxury of being fully present in whatever we where doing. We where little people who where free from society’s expectations. We where not lost in the past or thinking of the future, just deeply immersed in the now.

If you really take a look at kids playing in a park you will see that they are moving with divine energy. They will run and jump endlessly after a butterfly just for the sheer joy of it.

“Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional.” Tom Wargo

They don’t try to control or suppress their energy; they simply let it express itself in the most natural way in the moment. They don’t think “hey look at the beautiful butterfly, I wonder where it’s going? Should I chase after it? Will I look stupid?” No, they just feel the energy bubble up inside and spontaneously allow it to happen, no thinking just feeling. By not suppressing their energies and allowing it to flow, they are constantly tapping into that inner source of infinite energy. Once they stop moving they let their energies settle and gradually go into a state of peaceful sleep. The reason they sleep so peacefully and naturally is that they don’t suppress anything so things don’t carryover into their sleep.

Take the time to think about the last time you really let loose and played like a child. A time when you let all your physical movements dance with joy. Not worrying about how your actions would be perceived by others. A body free of tension and stiff mechanical movements. When you allow your body to be completely loose and fluid you will begin to notice your subtle energy body, you will walk gracefully and feel weightlessness inside you.

When you carry unnecessary tension, anxiousness, and stress within you, you feel heavy and stiff. Your energies are constricted and not allowed to flow.

Activities to Let Loose: Below are just a few suggestions that you can plug into your daily planner. When participating in these activities try to move your focus to less thinking and more feeling. Really put your attention on how the experience is making you feel, don’t verbalize it.

1. Salsa Dancing (dancing in general): This is a great style of dance because it’s very fluid and the music very lively. Learn to feel the music, let it dictate how your body moves. Take lessons to learn the basics but just really try and move to how the music is making you feel.
2. Soccer, Basketball, Baseball, etc.
3. Music Festivals: Get out there, meet some new people and just let loose.
4. Painting: Tap into the way your feeling and put it down on a canvas.
5. Playing with your kids as if you are one of them.
6. Plan a field day
7. Water balloon or water gun fights. Supersoakers where my favorite water guns growing up.
8. Climb a tree or rock. Be safe of course
9. Take acting lessons.
10. Pick up an instrument. Who cares if you suck have fun and you just might get good.
11. Sing a song, go to a karaoke bar.
12. Let yourself laugh with out censoring it.
13. Practice some Yoga
14. Go to an amusement park: Forget everything and just enjoy all the feelings you experience.

Becoming more childlike:

1. Suspend your beliefs and feel the experience.
2. Don’t hesitate: If you feel like doing something just do it and stop once you are no longer getting enjoyment from it. If you get the urge to ride your bike, what’s stopping you?
3. Be Open: Kids step out into the world and declare “Here I am world, show me what you got”.
4. Be direct: When kids are discussing what to do, they simply say “wouldn’t it be fun if we….” and then proceed to do it.
5. Put your ego aside: Before you where conditioned by your parents and society, you where in constant bliss by always exploring the unknown without thinking of  how it affected your ego.
6. Reclaim your child like creativity.

Hope you enjoyed this article on letting loose like when you where a kid, this life is a game so get out there and have some fun. If you find my site valuable please pass it along to your friends and family. I really appreciate you helping me in my personal mission to empower as many people as I can.

If you enjoyed this post, you might like:

How To Enjoy and Grow By Being With Yourself

The Power of Enthusiasm

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