Photographer unknown via Pintrest
I recently started a sweet side hustle job dog walking and dog sitting. It has come as a true surprise to me just how much I LOVE IT. I literally get paid to play with adorable pups and go on nature walks. Talk about alignment and ease!
These dogs teach me so much day-to-day. Most of them I see every day. The ritual and consistency of it brings a particular kind of joy as I continue to heal and integrate all of the major changes that unfolded this year for me. It’s so healing...the simplicity of it, the connection of it, the ease I’m bringing to working families all over the city by coming to let their little babies out for 20-30 minutes. It feels like I’m bringing light and love and ease as I bop around town to see my puppy friends.
What also goes without saying is how much my inner child loves this gig, too! When was the last time your inner child was engaged in how you made money? It’s a really fascinating question, isn’t it?
So many of the lessons that have surfaced for me this year have been rooted in inner child healing and reparenting.
But even hearing those words…”inner child healing and reparenting”...it can sound so technical and formal. Yet, I found myself on a swing set not once this past weekend, but twice!! This so-called “inner child healing” has allowed me to follow these sweet little impulses, just like if I had a four year old walking next to me saying, “OOO! LET’S GO PLAY ON THE SWIIIINGSSSSS!” And bam! They’re off in a cartoon-like cloud of dust following after them. Except...that four year old lives inside me and has those very same impulses! This weekend I let her go for it.
I sat on the swing, bundled in my puffy winter gear nice and cozy, gloved hands wrapped around the chains holding me to the metal bar above and my feet cautiously left the ground one by one until I was full on swinging. That feeling crept in, I know you know it, where you, in your adult form, tries to play it cool, right? Like, don’t show too much unabashed joy or people will think _____ about you. I felt the thought bounce to mind and I just keep swinging and soon thereafter hilariously notice that there is not a living soul around other than the chipmunks rustling and hawks flying over head. I slowly begin to look up at the stunning blue sky and wispy clouds as I’m swinging and let myself fully extend my arms as my head tilts all the way backwards, wind in my hair, legs out straight just flying effortlessly through the air with a big ol’, truly child-like smile on my face! Joyyyyyyyy! Playyyyyyyy! Funnnnnnnn! Weeeeeeee!
Photo by Valerie (Valspring) via Flickr
I hopped off the swing awhile after feeling fully tousled head-to-toe and revived with fresh air, as if the breeze was tickling me relentlessly the whole time. Ahhhh. Refreshed. Alive. In love with this gorgeous moment.
In the moments after my swing sesh, I found myself bouncing playfully as I walked through the woods to an intuitive song inside me. The only sounds happening in the moment were a humming bop from me and the rustling of the breeze over crispy leaves still left on the trees.
The striking thing about letting myself embrace the carefree feeling of playing is...it’s utter simplicity.
There’s no agenda. There’s no point of it even. It’s just...FUN. And my goodness is it contagious, too!
Swinging on the swings led to a playful bop in the woods which led to an impromptu dance after I saw a bald eagle fly right over head which led to ordering a hot chocolate drink which led to a totally joy-filled group dance sesh which led to giggling with my sister as we walked down the street that evening. CONTAGIOUS! In the best ways! Had I not let myself swing on that quiet, lonely swing that day, I guarantee that so much of the follow-up fun would not have happened!
If you were to close your eyes and tune in to your inner child at whatever age instinctively comes to you and just ask her/him/them what their version of play looks like today, I promise you that they will tell you! Whatever you first see/hear/feel is it! Trust it!
Is it an impromptu dance-off between you and you to a song from your childhood?
Is it time to dust off the crayons?
What about a cookie after lunch?
Maybe you can call your bestie to go on a swing set hunt after work?
What if it’s searching dog and cat accounts on instagram just to giggle it up?
Maybe hustling away the lego set from your kids/nephew/niece just for you for a half hour?
Or what about making at home playdough?!
What if you grabbed that pencil and drew whatever you see in front of you just for kicks?
Maybe you pack your favorite childhood lunch today?
Play is the way back home, my friends. The more I let myself play, the more ME I feel like out in the world.
Can we take a moment to truly acknowledge how profound and uncomplicated that is?
PLAY = ME, my AUTHENTICITY, my SELF. P
hew, how we complicate things sometimes, eh?
Okay, it’s your turn, friend! What kind of play is it gonna be this week? As with everything in Courage of Ease land, start small, start easy. Choose ONE PLAYFUL THING to enjoy this week and see what joy it unlocks in you.
Most of all, HAVE FUNNNNN!
Start your week with EASE in mind
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