Play With Me

C'mon. Let's have some FUN!

Alan Alda received the SAG Lifetime Achievement Award last weekend. In his acceptance speech, after the prolonged applause, after reminiscences and thank yous, Alan said, "My wish for all of us is let's stay playful, let's have fun and let's keep searching."

Y-E-A-H! Let's have fun! Let's stay playful! Such simple statements. Such wisdom and truth in those words.

When I read the newspaper, listen to the radio, overhear conversations, there's not much playfulness anymore. Not many light, uplifting stories. Everything seems heavy, cumbersome. People are petrified of saying the wrong words, being judged and labeled. People live in fear.

It's tough to have fun while living in fear.

I remember when things were lighter. I laughed more often. I wasn't afraid to say things. People weren't so serious, so troubled. It wasn't that long ago.

Alan Alda also (in a recent interview) reminisced about playing 'Hawkeye Pierce' in M*A*S*H. He remarked that he felt lucky to be part of something that made such a tremendous impression on the culture and was grateful for the opportunities he received after M*A*S*H. And then he said, "I don't think about it much because I don't think about the past. I just do what I'm doing in the moment."

WOW. That hit me like a ton of bricks. Alan Alda was the star of one of the biggest hit television series of all time, and he doesn't even think about it much anymore.

Because, let's face it. It's over. 

The past is over. No matter how successful or unsuccessful something was, whether it was great or it was not very great, it's still over. Why live there? Why carry it around? 

When I don't think about the past, I'm not carrying around a ton of bricks.

Living in the present is easy. It's carefree.
I'm not weighed down by anything. 

Living right here and now is pure freedom. Like a balloon, floating skyward.

Life CAN be playful, fun, and light - when I remember that I'm the person who creates my life. I choose what to carry with me. Old, heavy memories? Nah. Fear and labels? No room for that. 

My vow to myself is to LIGHTEN UP. 

Even those two words: 

First word - Lighten. Make lighter, less heavy. Bring light and brightness. Lighten my words, lighten my thoughts, lighten my movement.
​Y-E-S.

Second word - Up. As in, lift. Pick up. Raise your arms, your eyes, UP.  Towards the treetops. Lifting to the sky.

Makes me think of children, carefree, running and throwing their arms up in the air and laughing. Laughing those gleeful laughs that are music to my ears.

Makes me remember that I've gotta take a hot air balloon ride.

 Thanks for that reminder, Alan.

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I have the power to bring light into the world - allllll the world. You do too. Everyone does. 

I'm gonna do it. And I will start by being playful and having fun. By lightening up.

Will you?


©Catherine Borowski, 2019
www.celebratingwealth.com

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