The Permission to Play
“It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” ~J. K. Rowling
Today I made a choice, and it went against everything I’ve been teaching recently. I chose to ignore the projects I was supposed to be focused on, and did the things I simply felt like doing.
And it felt fantastic.
First thing this morning I created a massive to do list. I knew there were too many things on my list, and a couple of them would end up unfinished, or chopped off, to be added to the next day. However, I decided that it was mostly manageable. Then the sun came out.
Today became a beautiful spring day. I feel like I’ve been hibernating all winter—tucked away from the Seattle rain. As soon as I stepped outside, I thought of a million things I could do.
Go to the park. Take a nice long walk. Plant some flowers. Do a little spring clean up around the yard.
However, none of these were on my to do list in the morning.
Part of me said, “Tina, you wanted to use this time to write.” And part of me said, “A day like today is a reason to change plans.”
I had a choice to make, and to be honest I wasn’t making it very consciously. I simply knew that spring was calling me, and I followed my happiness. I chose to be happy in the sunshine, to laugh and play.
Why did I make this choice? I sometimes get caught up in my to do list. It becomes this thing which controls my life, my choices, and my decisions. Today, I decided I had the choice to be controlled, or to be more present. I chose to enjoy the sunny moments with my family.
As J.K. Rowling suggests, did this choice show who I truly am? I like to believe it revealed my priorities with my family. There is a time to get to work, and there is a time to play.
Today, I chose to play.
--Tina Su
Photo by David Saunders
focused on, and did the things I simply felt like doing.And it felt fantastic.
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