Stay Curious, Play!: Embracing growth and joy in life

STAY CURIOUS, PLAY!

Sometimes you gotta just go with the flow. 

Hold your purpose and keep moving forward through the chaos.

Bruce Lee said 'be like the water.'

This week's message: Stay curious, play! 

This is one of my favorite sayings - for many reasons. Today I share a few reasons why. 

What happens when we are no longer curious? When we know enough, have done enough, made enough friends? When we don't feel the need to try anymore or learn anymore? When become more afraid of failing than seeing what new opportunity we may explore?

This I find to be the saddest part of growing up. The misconception of being grown. That being grown means that there is no more growing left to do. In my opinion, being grown just means there is a new level of growing to explore. 

Play! Spirit is playful. If you have ever prayed or asked the universe, god, etc. for something and were not specific, you know how playful it can be. Playfulness ignites our imagination. According to Descartes, our imagination directly connects to the pineal gland and the pineal gland directly connects to our third eye (our intuition energy source). It is no coincidence that the physical source of our imagination and our intuition is housed in the same place and space in our bodies. 

 When we stop playing in life, in general, we are negating or shutting down this innate gift within, our intuition. The ability to use our minds positively and powerfully. 

Yes - you may not want to play now like you did when you were a kid, but there are many ways to play, say yes and be curious still in life. 

Curiosity + Play = Growth 

If you are not growing then what? Stagnant? Stuck?  

Fear, can't, no, doubt, worry = those are all taught. 

I'm not going to say it's impossible but massively rare to see a newborn full of fear, doubt, mistrust, anger, and worry. Babies come into this world with trust, love, curiosity, and imagination. The rest is just learned behavior. 

Learned behavior that came about through perceived failure or trial and error. When something is emotionally, physically or psychologically challenging, it is hard for us to look at the experience as a gift and want to buck up and jump back in and learn something new. 

A baby learning to walk falls and gets back up over and over without attachment to the fall. To the "failure". A parent never watches the child fall when they are learning to walk and says or thinks, "oh god, they fell it's all over, I'm going to be carrying this kid the rest of it's life." No.  

But somehow, when we are adults, we become afraid of falling. We loose perspective on the journey and cling to the crappy emotions in the momentary misstep. 

If you've ever seen a new born or toddler you are very aware that they do not cling to one emotion for very long. A newborn's face moves through a myriad of emotions within moments. A toddler can sprint through all the moods in a seconds. Somehow they know emotions are fluid. That emotions need to flow through us.  

"Stay curious, play" Is all about challenging your threshold of comfortability. Of the known. Of the finite. What more can you learn on this earth? How can you play more and fill your heart and others with joy? How can you turn a perceived set backs or failures into an opportunity for exploration and self education? How can you keep growing? How can you live life more? How can you love life more? 

When I studied Kabbalah, one of the practices they taught was that you should change your routine. Have a routine, but occasionally change it so that you don't get stuck. So that you remain curious. That you continue to play and grow. To not rely on the benchmarks around you to prop up your ego telling you you've accomplished something, you can stop growing now. There is so much more to explore, learn, do, see and be.

"Stay curious play" is about hope. If there is always something new to learn, to do, to explore, to be there is something exciting on the horizon to live for. 

I have suffered from depression and know that it is part of my biological make up. Like a diabetic needs insulin to regulate their body's imbalance. Those of us who know the beast of depression need to balance it with it's nemesis, hope. Yes, sometimes medication as well. Absolutely. But hope, hope really is the key. It not only lifts the mind but also the heart. Ever notice that when someone is depressed, their chest caves in? It becomes depressed. A confident person holds their heart high, boldly for the world to see and feel. 

I share these insights so I can reach out to you - who may need this mental/ emotional medicine that I was lucky enough to receive. When something helps me I want to share, keep that ball of positive energy going. Even if I'm scraping my knees along the way. 

Energy never dies. It just transmutes and shifts. So keeping that ball of light or energy moving forward in with the helpful insight I received, keeps that positive energy going. At least that is my hope. 

Chest up, heart open. Stay curious, play!

For more pop over to the podcast and a bonus meditation.

Big Love, 

Meghan