One long ago summer, my Dad gifted my best friend and I with a trip to Disneyland. In true Dad fashion, we did it right. We stayed at the Disneyland hotel, got up at the “crap” of dawn, his phrase, and every day we were among the first people in the park. I lost all track of time. Our three days lasted forever, yet it all seemed like a dream and certainly, one of the great memories of my childhood.
When my 7th grade teacher asked us to write a paper based on our favorite American Hero, I passed right through Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Hank Aaron, Thomas Edison, to the obvious choice: Walt Disney. After all, he brought families together, revolutionized animation, made some great sweatshirts, and helped advance animatronics. He was an unusual adult; someone filled with hope, fun, and adventure, who was obviously very healthfully connected to his inner kid.
We all need a Magic Kingdom, time set aside to play and be childlike. I call it Soul time; it’s when we “lose time”. Time is not lost necessarily, just not as confining as our watches and cellphones dictate. We experience this when listening to music, watching films, reading books, anytime we free fall into a passion, which is why it is so important to take time for play.
Disney said “I do not make films primarily for children. I make them for the child in all of us, whether he be six or sixty. Call the child innocence. The worst of us is not without innocence, although buried deeply it might be. In my work, I try to reach and speak to that innocence, showing it the fun and joy of living; showing it that laughter is healthy; showing it that the human species, although happily ridiculous sometimes, is still reaching for the stars."
When was the last time you reached for Stars? Why not take some time to recharge that magical inner child within. Forgotten how? Here are some suggestions:
~ Spend time with Nature. Whether you go for a walk, visit an Aquarium, buy some flowers, climb a nearby mountain or hang out at a Dog park, there is something restoring and rejuvenating in fresh air, color and a new perspective. Live on instinct and notice what happens. Our ancestors love to give us signs when we are more accessible, as they have as much of our undivided attention in Nature as they can get.
~ Do something unusual and out of your ordinary. Bowling is generally a great idea. Few people I know are really good bowlers, so it seems to even the playing field. Other ideas: take a Zumba class, make a brand new recipe, do something unexpected for someone you love, call an old friend, try a new restaurant, public event, a jazz club, do everything opposite for an hour, I think you get the idea.
~ Create a “Ta Da” Sheet. Celebrate what is working in your life. Remember the bottled paint and the white paste that some of us ate because we didn’t know any better? You can use crayons, pencils, markers, glue, sparkles, magazine cut-outs, pictures, objects around the house. Celebrate you, what you are proud of, who you love, what IS working in your life. No one needs to see it, just you.
~ Take a situation in your life you really want to happen and write your desires in a “once upon a time” version. For the parts you are unclear about, pull Tarot or Oracle cards to enhance the story. Dream big. This is your life, anything can happen, make it a Hero’s story.
~ Pick a time in your life and go back. Go through old photos, a year book, a wedding album, remind yourself of all that happened at that time in your life. You can either put the items in an album or just spend some time remembering. If you want, give some of the photos and items a special place where you can remind yourself of who you have been.
Most of all, get lost. Forget about the crazy “to do lists”. There will always be more to do and not enough time. Go out in the world. Shop, hang out at a coffee shop, bookstore, a movie, go vision something you wish to create, look at new cars, furniture, take a class, go to a gadget geek store and learn something new.
Hopefully, these ideas will be inspirational and fun. Dive into that pure part, that self that always knows the right thing to do. Most of all, make it fun.
By the way, that paper in 7th grade, I got an “F”. Guess I should have suggested my teacher “get lost”.
;-)
