Mix Work With Play – How’s Your Yin-Yang?

Work is serious stuff! It's that focused, rigid, goal-directed responsibility, accomplished by mature, disciplined adults. On the other hand, Play is frivolous, flirtatious, and fun, performed by immature, silly, whimsical children…right? Is this what “getting older” for us Boomers is all about? Hope not!

Don't we wish that our work paid the bills, while satisfying our passion, giving us pleasure and exhilaration? But, isn't that against the adult rules of work and play?   Aren’t we programmed to believe that it's a child's goal to "grow up" and play less? And the goal of mature adults is to keep "noses to the grindstone," "shoulders to the wheel," and "eyes on the ball," right? Oops…excuse me: "Eye on the ball" is a play term, and a "no no." Tell that to Hank Aaron. He worked hard at his play. Ever heard of "putting on a game face"?     

Doesn’t it seem that as we age, we play less? And what exactly is the point of a vacation? Is it an escape, a designated time and place to refresh, rejuvenate, and capture more youthful creativity and vitality…lost by conforming to mature stereotypes and rules? And if a vacation is really a needed release of repressed counterproductive energy, why do (we) intelligent adults schedule our play for only a few weeks a year? Do you catch yourself at the end of each work week saying, "Thank God it's Friday" or getting all tingly over the rebel shout "Road Trip!”      

And try this shoe on: Could we contribute to (check out our previous blog) if we made "play" just as much part of our daily lifestyle as work is, no matter what our age? Wikipidia defines Yin-Yang as “complementary opposites that interact within a greater whole, as part of a dynamic system….” We’ve found that mixing work and play together keeps us positive, balanced, young and happy…simply put, we've got Yin-Yang out the Wazoo!   

So who says we have to work now and play later? In our blog “ we mentioned our plans for a visit out West to see family and friends--a little rejuvenation and play, a little time to smell the roses-- or should we say cactus? Talk about an adult playground: What better place to play than…Viva Las Vegas, Baby! And you just never know where a client may turn up--ever try networking with Elvis and Big Bird? (Check out our video!)  

Another stop in the Mohave Desert to meet “Joshua” further convinced us that the spirit of youth is alive and well. Joshua (tree) manages to survive in the desert for thousands of years, and since Joshua lacks annual growth rings, you can’t even tell if Joshua is 10, 100 or 1,000! We think this is what mixing work and play does for us: It eliminates all those worry lines (growth rings) that we get that instantly age us--that “frayed around the edges” look we all get when we are "all work and no play!"      

Now for a rejuvenating stop to visit Dad, who, just like Joshua, doesn’t show any “growth rings." He will be 89 in a couple of weeks, and he is still going strong. His overall appearance is one of a man much younger in years. In fact you have to look really hard to find any wrinkles at all on his face! His positive daily routine mixes work with play. He fully takes care of himself and home and offers assistance to many neighbors, friends, and girlfriend Nancy. And yes he plays-- cards, books, socializing, clever, semi-witty conversations, outings, and his favorite--the casinos! He seems to have found his positive balance of work and play.     

So, tell us. Have you found that positive mix of work and play that nurtures your spirit of youth. What’s in your Yin-Yang?