Two doctors took different paths but came to the same place: play—feeling playful—unlocks health and intelligence. Dr. Stuart Brown, founder of the National Institute for Play, discovered the power of play by studying mass murder. Dr. Mary-Elizabeth Harmon, founder of Village Company 360, honed in on play while on a quest to recover from a health crisis.

Having fun—playing—is the healthiest way we can spend our time.*

*After feeding and housing ourselves, that is. That’s the first thing the National Institute for Play wants the world to know. The second is that activities that evoke fun feelings are unique to each of us.

But what is play to begin with?

“Play is the state of mind that one has when absorbed in an activity that provides enjoyment and a suspension of sense of time. And play is self-motivated so you want to do it again and again.”

—Dr. Brown in his book Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul.

FRIENDS ONE & ALL!
It’s time to get buff by building our play muscles!

Start by trying something that sounds like fun, and absorb another of the Institute’s gems:

Kids who play more achieve more.

Rather than packing their schedules, let’s allow them free play: activities that they choose.

According to the Institute, free play in children develops the sense of self, as well as motor, emotional, social and cognitive skills. And according to Plato, “You can discover more about a person from an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” Here’s what that means to us:

Big kids (adults) who play more discover more about creating social connection and trust. No connection or trust, no village care. No village care, no true prosperity, or aliveness.

On her health quest, Dr. Harmon discovered a paradox about feeling alive:

To feel alive, we must feel somewhat alive first.

Why’s that?

It’s because when we feel frustrated, angry or otherwise out of sorts, we’re out of resonance with the highest forms of intelligence—like curiosity, excitement, inspiration, vision, intuition and/or a feeling in our bones—that can lead us toward more vital lives and communities. But fun gets us back on track.

Aliveness isn’t a thought, it’s a FEELING.

So doesn’t it seem wise to FEEL FORWARD and follow the fun?!

Click here to join us on a fun-filled journey if you agree.

YAY!!!