I’m currently receiving business coaching instructions on how to live a great life. Not from a philosopher, a self-help guru or shrink, but from our new kitten, who arrived 3 days ago.
I’ve been amazed at how this little furry one takes the time to play around throughout the day.
He’s not unusual. Almost all of the creatures in the animal kingdom are the same.
It got me thinking, is play not a natural state for humans?
Well I think that it’s reasonable to assume it is, simply because as children our attitude is highly playful.
Only as we get conditioned by the heaviness of modern daily life, does our playful mode of thought diminish.
There seems to be a collective belief amongst adults that being playful means that we are not serious about our work.
Yet I’ve seen no research that shows that being playful reduces work effectiveness. To the contrary, I’ve seen several books that show persuasively that it improves it.
And every so often, we all meet an executive who performs superbly, yet remains light, fun and happy.
These people inevitably become linchpins in society, centres of influence in their workplace, their very playfulness adding to their mastery. Even they are coaching or mentoring their staff, but still they can add light, fun and happy atmosphere environment.
Intelligently playful people are highly magnetic to those who work with them.
So I think it’s time we consciously developed a sense of play at work. It’s not easy in a culture that for some reason admires stressed, busy people, but if we can do it, then we’ll not only enhance our own lives, but the lives of those who both live and work with us.
I believe we will end up wealthier too. Not just in money, but in something far more precious. Well being.
