No Damage

No Damage by K A Hodgson. Available worldwide on Amazon.com & Amazon.co.uk

I can’t stop smiling today because I have finally finished and released my book No Damage. I have been writing my story since early 2012 and simply cannot believe little old me has written a book! What makes it even more incredible and joyful is that REAL people are reading my words and leaving the most beautiful customer reviews. I feel like checking it is me they are talking about.

‘I’m only on page 15 of No Damage by KA Hodgson and I get the feeling that after reading the whole book it will change my perception on life. Incredible book, well worth a read (available on Amazon)’

‘I couldn’t put this book down. The writing is so honest, with such sense of humour. I laughed and cried all the way through. Highly recommend’.

I poured heart and soul into sharing my story, I cried many tears and often felt like giving up but I carried on because I had a dream and I still hold that dream close to my heart and tucked away in my hands. From the moment I began writing, I knew that all I wanted was for No Damage to reach people across the world and inspire them. All I wanted was for my words to bring comfort to those that needed it most, to bring laughter, encouragement and a reason to smile when the going gets tough. I wanted to shine a light on the dark corners of life, talk about the taboos and bring hope to the world. I also wanted to delve into the utter embarrassment of being left at the almost-altar twice, the hilarity of internet dating as a novice and somehow finding myself in a South African prison. Life really did throw some curve balls at me for a few years! In spite of everything that happened during those years, this book is a funny and uplifting look at life that promises to inspire the reader. Please enjoy and help me make my dream a reality by sharing this story with your family and friends.

The true story of a woman on the eve of turning thirty who seemingly had it all, with a successful career and home life, until her first fiancé left her at the almost-altar one Christmas and her life began to spiral out of control. This is the hilarious, brutally honest and uplifting story of one woman’s journey to survive having TWO runaway grooms whilst coping with cancer, internet dating as a thirty year old hairy legged novice and her ridiculous, enormous dogs. This is the story of turning a broken life into something brilliant.

No Damage on Amazon.com

No Damage on Amazon.co.uk

‘A beautifully written book. Fascinating in its honesty, gripping in its drama, entertaining in it’s humor and inspiring in its thought provoking analyses of the difficult situations faced by the author in some turbulent years of her life. I challenge anyone to read this book without laughing out loud and shedding some tears.’

 

For the following people and their blogs who inspired me, thank you and Merry Christmas. You are all incredible!

Apartment Wife

Be the love of life

Bucket List Publications

Dave Cenker

Piano with Rebecca Singerman-Knight

Leap life a frog

Miss Lou acquiring love

Letters to Humanity

Less equals more

Cupcake n sunshine

Dream Catcher

Is there anything more powerful we can do with our life than follow our dreams, our heart’s deepest wishes?

Is there anything more wonderful than creating good in this world from the very act of being happy?

In my humble opinion, the greatest gifts we can give to this world are those of a beaming smile and being truly, soul happy. Where does that happiness come from? I believe it comes from being the unique person that each of us is, from following a path in life that is true to who we are and from walking away from the expectations and demands placed upon us by others if they are damaging and limiting in intent. We are told from early childhood to conform, to behave, to sit down and be quiet and to follow the same life path as everyone else.

We have our magic, unique beauty and dreams educated right out of our hearts as we grow up in a world that places much importance on wealth, success and following the norm as opposed to following our dreams. It is depressing to think that so many potential dreamers, poets, storytellers, healers and weavers of incredible magical lives have their potential crushed as they are encouraged to stop dreaming and ‘get a real job’ when they grow up. As adults we are laughed at if we so much as mention the idea of one day resuming our heartfelt dreams, no matter how small or big those dreams are.

It seems to me that if each of us were allowed to grow into who we truly are from a young age, without constraints, and given the encouragement to follow our heart’s true desires this world would be a healthier, more beautiful place to be. Can you imagine how we would all co-exist if each of us were given the encouragement to be happy? Imagine if happiness was actually a priority in our societies and we were given the support to create, cherish and grow into our true potential.

The beauty of this life is that we CAN, as adults, choose to make a change and actively decide to follow our dreams. It is never too late and in one way or another each of us can follow our heart’s deepest dreams whether it is a complete life upheaval or something as simple as finally pursuing that hobby we adore. We can be who we truly wish to be if we create enough self awareness to let go of fear, quieten our judgmental mind and just do it. That alone is life changing in the peace and mental freedom it brings.

When you mention following your dreams to most people, they laugh and push it aside saying it is pointless, there is no value or gain in pursuing dreams and it is impossible because of….insert a million and one reasons. It doesn’t pay the bills, it doesn’t contribute to a pension and dreaming is a childish habit that should be forgotten. I utterly disagree. I wholeheartedly believe that if each of us commits to what truly ignites our soul and keeps practising, it will eventually all come to good. There is no instant reward or success with giving up a routine life to follow dreams but there is the journey of a lifetime and, with persistence and effort, there is reward in the long-term.

When I was about to take my leap away from a routine lifestyle, I asked myself one simple question over and over again. It never failed to help me understand my true purpose in life and if I was on the right path for me.

If money were no object, if you knew you couldn’t fail and if you had no fear….What would you do?

That simple question has taken me both within myself and across the globe. I am still in the early days of following my dreams, I am working incredibly hard to make it work but I can tell you this. I have never been so happy and that alone is worth everything to me and to those I touch with my genuine, beaming smile.
Take a moment today to consider what truly lifts and inspires you forwards in life and follow that thought. Lift your head to the sky, close your weary eyes after a week of work and fall back to your dreams. If money were no object, if you knew you couldn’t fail and if you had no fear….What would you do? May you have the courage to begin to follow those dreams.

Following My Fear

The grip of fear. It is something we all feel at times and it literally chokes the zest of life out of us and keeps us standing still in a thick bog of self doubt at times. Can you remember the last time you felt that way? Are you there right now? I certainly am.

It is the madness of my mind that one day I can be full of life and belief that anything is possible and then, the very next day, nothing is possible. Suddenly I am standing in a smelly, wretched bog of fear and my creativity has flown away into the distant sunshine. How does the mind play such tricks when nothing, absolutely nothing has changed to cause that fear to rise in the first place? That alone is a reminder of just how powerful a tool the mind is if we harness it correctly. It certainly is a master of chaos when left alone.

So, I am standing in the middle of my fear at the moment and, as the mud is seeping into my boots, I have been struggling to set myself free. I have been fighting against my fears, wriggling this way and that to get away from it in a fit of huffing and flailing arms and then giving up until I get my breath back. I have been feeling lost and unsure of which way to turn to rid myself of this state of mind.

But then it occurred to me this morning what the real problem is. Instead of allowing my fear to exist and following her to see why she is here I am fighting her. Since when did fighting get any of us anywhere other than into trouble?

I need to stop that right now. Instead of fighting my fear I am going to allow her to sit there quietly next to me and see why she is occurring in the first place. Fears are based on irrational lessons we have learnt at some point and, to our subconscious mind, those fears make sense. Perhaps by getting to know my fear instead of batting her away, I will set myself free. Perhaps simply by knowing that it is okay to feel fear, by allowing her to sit quietly at my desk as I write and watch as I show her an alternative life of joy and laughter, fear will in time settle down.

When fear loses its significance and power over me and becomes an acceptable, perhaps welcome, visitor I can transform her. I can mould her gently into something new that need not hold me back as I pursue my dreams in life.

 

Fear can become my friend, my way of knowing when I need to look deeper to heal old wounds.

Isn’t it sad that we allow our fears to hold us back instead of them being a tool of discovery and investigation? Each of us has fears, whether we choose to admit it or not, and we hold ourselves back from our true power and beauty in life by sitting in the shadow of fear. We all have dreams we didn’t pursue, talents and passions we thought were second rate and not good enough to be shared. How different would the world be if each of us allowed ourselves to shine and let fear fade away?
That is my work at the moment, allowing myself to reconnect to my peace and begin to shine again in my own small ways. I am starting with a healthy dose of play this weekend amongst nature, my favourite breakfast and a reminder that I am doing my best to transform. I am trying every day to follow my dreams fearlessly, I am trying to make a difference and it is okay that right now I feel a little lost as I stomp about in the bog.
Today I am going to sit in my mud pit of fear, eat my marmalade on toast and raise a big steaming mug of English tea to the sunshine. I am going to make it a comfortable place to be, hope the mud doesn’t ruin my clothes and see what the day brings.

Inspire Me

Endless Light and Love – Life is so ironic

Prose over Bros – Relax

Miss Centsible – Speak quietly to yourself

Totally Inspired Mind – Do It badly, do it slowly

Bourbon Tea – Hooray for play

What’s your elevator pitch?

Isn’t it strange how we feel fear when someone asks us to define our hopes, desires and dreams? As if it is somehow selfish and unrealistic to have them? In this day and age the world desperately needs more dreamers, more creators and people who are willing to step up to the mark and create a better future for mankind. Nonetheless this question fills me with fear. So….what is my elevator pitch?

I am excited about inspiring others that feet lost and unsure about their path in life to step outside of the conventions of society, outside of their fears, dream big and lead a life that is true to the person they are. I am excited about reconnecting people with the natural world around us, specifically the oceans and those magnificent, awe inspiring creatures called sharks.

 

I am also excited, deeply excited, about writing. More than anything else in this world I want to use my words and create new worlds.

I am excited about this because I know how inspiring words can change a life. I have been incredibly lost at times, an outsider full of fear, and it is an incredible gift to now be able to pass on my knowledge, experiences and passion to inspire others to step up and make a change for their future. I am so crazy excited about the possibility of inspiring others to make a positive change within this world.

It ties into my story because I turned my life around against the odds and I know how it feels to be in need of support. I have such passion to inspire others, to speak up on behalf of those that can’t and I have plenty of experience of life’s pitfalls and getting up time and again to keep creating. I can relate to people, I care about them and I can  create bonds that I believe lift people and make their day that much brighter just by reading my words.

My elevator pitch isn’t very refined yet, it isn’t as short as it ought to be (1-2 sentences max) but I can hear the passion inside me trying to overcome my limiting beliefs, I can feel that I care and it is giving me an idea of how to define and act up on my passions. Take a moment yourself and have a go at creating your elevator pitchThe Live Your Legend guidance to do so is here. Go for it!

Inspire Me

The Other Side of Ugly – You are not a tree

Totally Inspired Mind – Yesterday I was clever

Mastering Today – Change your life

Princess of the light – Be the little engine and believe

Positive Outlooks – Regret is not an ideal way of life

Putting on my Happy Shoes

Paddington, THE master daydreamer!

Filming on location at Millers Point

The flowers at Millers Point are incredible!

Millers Point

Daily Walking

Our Friends for Sharks mascot; a cheeky and friendly little Blue Shark

This week I am mostly learning the art of awareness and stepping back from overworking myself.

It has a busy time for me as we are launching our charitable cause and super exciting venture Friends for Sharks. We had an absolute hoot filming our promo video for this. I couldn’t stop laughing every time I forgot what to say, the sun shone down on us and we got to spend time at the beach talking about oceans, inspiration and following your dreams. What more could I ask for?!

It feels incredible to be following this journey after some difficult times recently. Yes I am a little apprehensive at times, having given up our paid work to do this (eek) but I’m also feeling pretty perky and bold as I put on my happy shoes and have a metaphorical dance around the room each morning. I love my life!

Please take a peek at our promo video.

Enjoy the scenery, the oceans and us having a little chat about our plans.

It is awesome for me to think we are committed full time to raising money for charity for an entire year. Life is too short to focus solely on personal financial gain and already we are enjoying devoting ourselves and our voices to a good cause. I am determined we will raise enough sponsorship and donations to make Friends for Sharks a success and, best of all, we will inspire people around the world to be the change they wish to see. What is not to love about a plan like that?! I am over the moon excited that we already have our first talk booked; at Melbourne aquarium next year.

Do you know anyone that would like to host us as guest speakers?

Please point them in the direction of our tour itinerary.

If you feel inspired to support us with a donation, please check out our happy little GoFundMe campaign and share it with your friends and family. Every penny counts to us and it is all for a fantastic cause.

One of the challenges for me throughout this venture is finding my balance, my happy, and not overworking myself. I am often like an overeager puppy, with bucket loads of enthusiasm and no ability to stop myself until I become exhausted. The challenge for me right now is to rein myself in and make sure I give my body and mind time to rest. I am slowly starting to recognise that actually it is inefficient working all day long anyway. Our minds are capable of being more productive and efficient if we give them a chance to rest, to daydream and be creative.

The biggest thing I can do to help improve my work output is actually to work fewer hours and spend some time watching the world go by in my daydreams. One of my favourite ways to do this is my Daily Walk and I am trying hard to make sure I take time off every day in addition to that. Admittedly it is not always happening but it is a journey that I am committed to.

My other learning curve this week is about being fearless. I am practising pulling on my superhero pants, reminding myself I can do this and being fearless about the future. I waste far too much time on pointless worries and ‘what ifs’ and I don’t want to be that way. I have no idea how the next year will pan out (will I end up homeless with fleas? Possibly, maybe not, I don’t know) but I can choose not to be fearful and to embrace whatever lies ahead with absolute acceptance and a pretty welcome mat.

On this beautiful afternoon I am practising creating that welcome mat in my mind and it looks a little like this.

Be fearless, enjoy today and accept whatever comes your way with a welcome mat

and your favourite pair of happy shoes.

Onwards we go!

Inspire Me

There are so many awesome blog posts inspiring me right now. Here are my favourites that are definitely worth reading.

In the Stillness of WillowHill: Walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet

Totally Inspired Mind: Words of wisdom found this week

Leap Like a Frog: Living your life happily ever after

Apartment Wife: Hopeful beginnings

With Love from CA: A look inside the art portfolio

This Italian Family: The world’s largest tree house

Life Paths for Better Endings: The quest

Just keep walking

Throughout daily life there is one simple habit that has kept me on an even keel; walking.

I have always referred to my daily walk as my Sanity Walk and refuse to miss a single dose of it. It doesn’t matter where I am walking, what has happened in the day and whether it is pouring with rain or bright sunshine. It can be morning, noon or night, I don’t care. It is my moment to stomp, march, skip, meander and wander along paths of every kind and in every country I visit. No matter how grumpy or miserable I may feel beforehand, my Sanity Walk uplifts and inspires me. Some of the greatest decisions I have made in my life have occurred during my walks. Stepping one foot in front of the other has  seen me through devastating times and serious injury when it was all I could do to keep walking whilst tears filled my eyes and threatened to trip me up.
In honour of my humble, yet irresistible, potters I am sharing some of my favourite walking moments from the years gone by, just as I step out of the door to go on my next adventure.
Keep treading those paths and life will continue to unfold.

Daily Walking

I am NOT my story (and neither are you)

It was whilst having lunch with new friends this week that I remembered I am not my story.

I really enjoy listening to other peoples’ stories; their history of triumphs and failures, joy and loss and the moments they choose to share and believe define who they are. It is a privilege to hear such tales and be trusted not to judge but to listen with an open mind and enjoy a moment immersed in someone else’s world. Though perhaps it is not that I am trusted to not judge but more that they don’t judge themselves for their history, their story, and so it doesn’t matter what I think. I always admire people that have the courage and honesty to just be themselves warts and all.

My journey with my past is an ongoing one and I struggle to admit the recent years of my life when people ask me how I came to be where I am today. I gloss over it as quickly as possible with a series of short sentences that define four painful and embarrassing years of my life because a part of me still feels ashamed. There is a piece of me that is still working on coming to terms with the fact that in the space of four years I was left at the almost-altar by my fiancé just weeks before our wedding, my mother, my best friend, died of cancer and ultimately I lost my career, my home and a whole lot more. Heck, my life was a nightmare at that time and I fought tooth and nail to create something positive from that wreckage whilst also being hideously embarrassed by my circumstances. I have worked on my self-esteem, built a new career overseas and made life choices that have led me to where I am today which is a place of happiness and a lot less drama. I have taken responsibility for my part in each of those moments in my life, I have forgiven others and yet I still feel ashamed to admit it all. I can’t bring myself to say it out loud without turning that series of events into a joke or a flippant tale as I mutter and stare at my glass of wine and shrink into my chair. I am all for listening to other peoples’ vulnerability and stories but less of a fan of sharing mine.

So today I am taking a step away from my shame and a step towards remembering I AM NOT MY STORY by writing that series of events out here. Yes it hurt like hell, it still does on some level, but it does not define me and it changed me in ways I am utterly thankful for. I have more compassion, empathy and understanding than I ever did beforehand and I am adamant that I will use my story to inspire others once I have finished writing it all out in my up and coming book. In the spirit of doing so here is my first admission, with bells on:

I was left at the altar not once but twice.

Yes, you heard me correctly.

I have TWO runaway grooms to my name.

 

I would like to say I feel less ashamed by saying that but I mostly feel like an idiot. On the other hand though, if one person reads this and feels less alone, less embarrassed by their history, then it was worth it. Ultimately all I want to do is help those in similar pain know they are not alone and speak up without shame. If I could survive all of that, which I did, then they can and will too. Keep walking forwards all and don’t let your story, whatever it is, define who you are.

Inspire Me
Luca’s Cloud What would you do if you were not afraid?
Princess of the Light Seize Every Opportunity
Brene Brown Listening to Shame
Brene Brown The Power of Vulnerability

Come fear. Take my hand

As she touched the keys of the piano lightly her fingers trembled. She was painfully aware of the people around her, felt the weight of their passing conversations press down upon her hunched shoulders as she took a deep breath. She let her hair fall around her face as her eyes darted across the keys wildly. She was unsure if she could remember the piece her heart wanted to play, unsure of the depth of touch needed for the keys to sound, unsure if she had the courage to just do it. She turned her head slowly to the left and peeked through her hair, as if waiting to be caught as an imposter and told to leave. She caught site of families and couples deep in conversation and felt fear rise in her throat and quicken her pulse.

 

Fear told its familiar story of not being good enough, of it being better to give up now than expose oneself and be judged on ability or lack of

 

Fear told her it was better for the music that was deep within her soul not to be heard, for it was no good and was not worthy of listening ears. She would be laughed at. She pressed middle C lightly as her hands shook. Perhaps she could just play quietly so no-one would hear but she could at least ease the ache inside her that longed to make music. She breathed again, looked to the right and saw two smiling faces; her friends cheering her on silently with warmth in their smiles and glasses lifted in congratulation at getting this far. Little did they know her terror. Fear tightened its grip around her throat; her fingers moved away from the keys as she began to convince herself it was better to just leave it, forget her dream of performing and leave it for someone else to play.

 

But then another voice spoke; that of courage and of not giving a damn anymore about being judged

 

Just play for crying out loud, just play and set your soul free. You know this is your dream and it doesn’t matter whether you get every note wrong. Yes, stepping outside of your comfort zone is frightening, fear has a strong hold at times but it doesn’t matter.

 

It is not yours to judge yourself and your ability. It is your job to just do it and explore the magic outside of your comfort and security. The adventure is yours for the taking. Just close your eyes and play

 

So she did just that. She pulled her feet forwards and pressed the pedals with a familiar tenderness. It felt like coming home. She poised her long fingers above the keys and breathed deeply. She breathed in courage, she breathed in fear but most of all she breathed in her dreams and passion and, as she exhaled, she began. It would be a lie to say she hit every note perfectly. A lie to say she was a concert pianist when clearly she wasn’t. But she played with passion; she laughed out loud at the bum notes and giggled as her friends moved closer with their glasses of wine. They listened with smiles and kind heckles to try and distract her further. If she could have stepped back and seen herself she would have witnessed one of her greatest dreams coming true.

 

She had embraced her fear, let it sit on the stool beside her and shown just what she was capable of when her mind set her free

 

She stopped. She played again and then confessed she also had a dream to sing. She had wanted to perform all her life but had never quite found the courage to be properly heard. Never quite found the courage to be so vulnerable as to let her voice be heard.

With strength, a quiet satisfaction and pride at having played in public, she later sang her friends a song. It sounds so simple, as if it took nothing but the act of opening her mouth and letting the tune out. But it took so much more than that for her. Yet again she had to master her fears of failure, of being judged and remind herself of the beauty of play. Of how desperately she wanted to be heard. She paced the room as she considered if she could in fact sing – did she sound terrible? Should she sing quietly? Or perhaps let go, sing from the depths of her heart and pour her soul into her voice?

 

It didn’t matter how she sounded for at least she was willing to try. And so the voice of courage spoke up once more

 

She took that deep breath, closed her eyes, let her shoulders fall and sang as if there were no tomorrow. She soared to the highest notes of a soprano voice and to the lowest tones in the depths of throat; with runs and pauses she held her tune and finally let her voice be heard. The exhilaration was next to none. The freedom of expression was exquisite and when she let her last note out and opened her eyes she found her friends silent. With tears in their eyes they told her they couldn’t believe she wasn’t doing something with such a voice. And with that one performance and those kind words an evening of song and acoustic guitar took shape.

 

And so began a journey whose next chapter is unknown but will surely happen because she let herself be heard

 

As I sang those songs and played the piano during that day last week I felt incredibly vulnerable. I was reminded of how strong fear can be and how easy it is to just walk away from new experiences, walk away from that vulnerability. It is easier than trying something you believe in. I very nearly didn’t perform and I am thankful I found a voice louder than fear that stopped me from giving up. The moment I stepped outside of my comfort zone, stopped judging myself and recognised nothing mattered other than giving it a try, I set myself free. And you can do the same for whatever it is you believe in.

 

Fear will always be with us in one form or another but it doesn’t need to stop us. The key is to learn to master our fear, let it sit beside you and just be.

 

Show fear the magic that can happen when you take its hand and lead it gently towards your dream. It isn’t easy but the rewards are worth every shaky moment when your hands tremble and your pulse races. The rewards of self-belief, of courage, of just being who you want to be are incredible. Even when you hit the bum notes and have to start again, just as I did. Even when you completely forget the line to the song and make it up as you go along, just as I did on more than one occasion that day.

 

S today I encourage you to do something that is outside of your comfort zone. Go and take a deep breath and open the door to one of your dreams and just try.

No matter what happens I promise you it will be magical simply because you had the courage to try

Hooray for Play

To play. To pretend to be something, someone else, to live freely and laugh brightly at the sunshine and rain, to forget who you are and all of your adult confines and expectations for just a moment. To be whoever you want to be.

Definition of play

verb

• 1 [no object] engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose:the children were playing by a pool her friends were playing with their dolls
• [with object] engage in (a game or activity) for enjoyment:I want to play Snakes and Ladders
• amuse oneself by engaging in imaginative pretence:the boys were playing at soldiers
• (play at) engage in without proper seriousness or understanding

 

I have been thinking a lot about play the last few days, as I have been mostly stuck indoors whilst Cape Town has been drowned in rain and hail. I have missed the freedom of playing on the beach, sitting on a rock and singing songs to myself with a seal for company as he splashes amongst the kelp. I have missed my sandy playground where I indulge myself in the nature that surrounds me. It goes without saying that I have also missed seeing the sharks and being at sea each day. The ocean is another one of my playgrounds. I like to either be next to her depths or within them playing at being a mermaid swimming gracefully amongst the sharks.

As I returned home from work the other day I watched a seal hunting behind the waves at Fishhoek beach. He darted back and forth at great speed, turning impossibly quickly as he weaved his silky body this way and that, his prey just out of reach of his jaws. He didn’t catch his prey despite his best efforts but then he started to play. He raced behind the waves, leaping out of the ocean repeatedly and then raced into the waves to surf them to the beach. As the waves curled and broke he flew down their faces, sometimes leaping from the crest of the wave high into the air as the water propelled him forwards. I couldn’t stop laughing at his acrobatics and sheer enjoyment of play.

Like most of us, I can take life far too seriously at times when I get bogged down by my own expectations of who I should be and what I should be doing. I really need play to escape and remind myself how to exist, laugh and do something for the sheer fun of it. And by playing I release the creativity in me again, release my inner happy. It brings back my passion to create and inspire. Who knew play could be so useful? I don’t think it had occurred to me that it is anything other than fun and giggles until quite recently.

 

We all need to play more, make play a daily part of our lives.

 

In fact I think we all need to make our lives as much about play as is humanly possible. Turn the idea of ‘work’ and ‘duty’ on its head and make them playful, full of curiosity and about having fun. I have a presentation to give to a group of students in the coming weeks and instead of being nervous I am going to make it an opportunity for me to play. An opportunity for me to be creative, to engage the students and make them laugh and have fun. By doing that and approaching it with a curious and playful mind not only will I enjoy it more and be less judgmental of my performance but the students will get the best of me. They will learn more because they will be having fun. So this week I am going to focus on being these things in everything I do:

 

Be Curious

Be Playful

Be Open Minded

Be full of Laughter

Be thankful for my mistakes and hope for more. I am learning and growing

 

Play can make us happy, help us feel free to be ourselves and so help us learn and be confident. It can help us contribute to this world with love and laughter in our souls. That is a pretty amazing thought for something that is free, doesn’t require a prescription, can be done alone or with others and whenever you want to for as long as you want to. Wow. What else can this wonder drug achieve then? Can it help us be healthier? Help us live longer and create deep and meangingful relationships with others? I believe it can do all of those things and more. In fact I know it can.

My play keeps me fit mentally, physically and spiritually. It allows me to explore and brings me peace and it can do the same for you.

I play these two computers games with a certain someone that I adore; as my brother would call him ‘my phantom boyfriend’ as he apparently exists but I don’t mention him. Anyway, that’s a whole other story to go into one day…but today is about play. Through our play we have come to know each other deeply as friends. We have shared a huge amount of laughter, adventures in person and online, we have been there for each other through tough times and grown into a companionable silence and understanding of each other that just keeps on getting better. All this from a game that involves brushing bison and a card game that I still don’t understand but love. Without our play where would we be?

So today I encourage you all to go and experience this wonder drug called Play for yourselves. Go and take half an hour to play with a friend, with your children, you family or just on your own. Try and turn the work you are dreading into an opportunity to play and act your way through it. Go play and be free.

 

Find it funny, laugh at your mistakes and just play this game called life.