One of my clients recently moved from Pennsylvania to Florida. She shared that the other night she went swimming with some of her friends who have lived down there for many years. It was the middle of the week - a work night - and there they were drinking cocktails and swimming at 11pm. She says, "I feel like I am still on vacation. It hasn't sunk in yet that I live here." To which her friends reply, "Get used to it because this is how things are down here!"

What if life were the vacation? What if you could live your life playing? You go to a place each day where you get to play in a way that brings you joy and in exchange for your kind of play, you receive a paycheck and some benefits. A couple days a week you play in a different way and with other people. A few times a year you might travel to another city to play and see how the folks who live there play. It really is all in your mind isn't it? It's all in how you look at life.

I use the word "play" all the time in my conversations. What would your favorite playground look like? What kinds of games do you want to play? Who do you want to play with? If you can treat life as a game, then you will learn to lighten up. And you'll have more fun with everything you do.

Yes, there is a huge paradox here. Life is serious business. You only get this one chance to live in this body, with this mind, at this time in history and absolutely, you do not want to waste a day of it. And yet at the same time, you want to enjoy yourself, maximize your skills and talents, and spend time with the people who bring out your best. So it's about balancing taking your life seriously, creating urgency so that you do what you need to do right now to make your life what you want it to be while at the same time focusing on play and having fun and enjoying yourself. Life is too short for it not to be fun.

People live so stressed out about work and the past and other people. In the larger scheme of things, do these things matter? The past is like a heavy anchor keeping you from enjoying the present. Anything you drag with you from one moment to the next holds you back from your full self-expression - from really being here and enjoying yourself. The little things over which people try to control, spending time and energy arguing over are often senseless and yet people do it every day. Does it really matter who's right or wrong or does it matter more that it gets accomplished in the way that will produce the best outcome? Spending so much time and effort pacifying the ego is truly a wasteful measure. Another thing that holds people back is focusing your energy on worrying about what other's think of you. It does not matter! The only person you need to please is you! In the larger scheme of things, you must answer to yourself for the life you lead. On your deathbed, you will be asking yourself some serious questions about how you lived moment by moment, day by day. If you focus on living each moment, each day in a way that brings you joy and brings out your best, then the years and the decades will take care of themselves.

If you focus on spending each day in play, living in integrity with what works for you, learning to let go of those things that do not bring you joy, then you will start to create space for the things that do make you happy. If you find work that allows you to maximize your talents, develop your strengths, and provides an environment that stretches you to be your best, then you will have found a great way to play. And it will feel very good to be able to contribute to the world in this way. AND you'll get paid to do it!

You cannot afford the luxury of getting caught up in the insignificant appearing important, forgetting what is essential is how much you enjoy yourself, what you learn, and the people you touch along your journey. This will be the biggest regret and crime one can make against oneself. What matters are your relationships and the impact you have in the lives of others - even strangers - and your memories - how you feel about the life you've lived.

I do not work. I dance. My heart sings when I write and when I work with others to tap into their power, to get out of their own way, and learn to be their best self. My "work" is pure joy. I cannot envision a better way of using my talents and skills. The universe seems to support this because of all of the blessings I have received in response to my choices.

What about you? Sometimes it's not the work, but the environment you work in. Sometimes it is not the work, but rather your attitude and how you show up that is your problem. Sometimes it's the work. You do not need to live your life unhappily. You always have a choice. It's your life and you are responsible for the quality of your life, the joy and result of your work, as well as the quality and richness of your relationships. It's up to you to create what you want to make you happy. No one else can do it for you. What brings one person joy will not be what brings another person joy.

Take action to create a playful life for yourself. If you find that something is too much struggle or too challenging, ask yourself what "play" would be like, what "effortless" would be like. You may need to find a different playground to play in, or perhaps you need a different playmate. But whatever it is, choose to play. Play is serious business. And so is life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Want to bring more play into your life? Find out how by contacting Julie today. Julie Fuimano, MBA, BSN, RN is a Success Coach and the author of "The Journey Called YOU: A Roadmap to Self-Discovery and Acceptance," the life manual you've been looking for! She teaches people how to stand in their power and be more effective with their time and in their communications in order to increase their confidence, deepen their relationships, think bigger about what's possible for them to achieve, and have more fun! To explore how coaching would work for you or your organization, call (610) 277-2726 or write to Julie@nurturingyoursuccess.com. Sign up for our e-newsletter or purchase your copy of the book at www.nurturingyoursuccess.com.

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