Pursuing Growth (PG) Sculpting Project 1: Back to the Future

I tend to be a workaholic. I love accomplishment. Every day I have more things I really want to do than can be done in a day. These tendencies have real benefit and real detriment in my life. I am well aware of the benefits, but the detriments I have wanted to sweep under the rug pretending they didn’t exist. I noticed the detriment when we came to the Built to Play Project 17 and I ran straight into the detriment again when we began the 7 Essential Brain Nutrients Project 24. Playtime and Down Time were not part of my life. A few weeks ago I decided to revisit this ‘play’ issue and I began by asking a question that was reported to help people like me identify a way to put play in my life. Exploring this question has begun an avalanche of wonderful changes in my days.

The question: When you were around 9-12 years old what did you choose to do when you had free time? The answer was supposed to guide me into ideas of activities that might still hold some attraction. I spent a week or more pondering this period of my life and remembered a few favored activities. Building cardboard spaceships to have adventures with my best friend, writing stories and taking long explore walks by myself in a nearby nature area. It was an interesting recall project so I expanded the question to my teen years. I remembered a favorite vacation when my parents and I camped at a Washington Pacific Ocean beach where we watched whales spout as they migrated by. I took extended beach walks with my new friend Jesus and I found the treasures that beaches hold; shells, tidal pools and large glass balls that had floated from fishing nets in Japan. In the afternoons I read the book of Acts for the first time. What an adventure story.

As I continued to remember the things I liked to do before I got so busy and responsible I began to see common themes. One dominate theme: I loved to explore in nature. When I found a relationship with Jesus at age 15 this love turned into my favorite spiritual practice. I regularly walked or rode my bike to natural areas and explored while I chatted with Jesus.

I have continued this nature walk and chat time on and off throughout my adult life, so I suppose it shouldn’t have been a surprise when I found its roots in my childhood. But the surprise was realizing this was a form of play for me and essential for my well-being.

A couple of weeks ago I took up my Play/Spiritual practice with determination. After my morning chores, before I launch into the day’s work I take my beach walk with Jesus. My beach is now the acres of our property where I find the treasures that the high desert holds; shells that have fossilized, blooming cactus, meteors and artifacts created by people who lived here long ago. When I was 10 I wanted to be an archeologist. Now I am.

I have decided to occasionally extend my nature explores to include bike trails and locations a bit farther than home. This is a stretch for me, but my old bike is sitting outside waiting for me to replace a flat tire so that I can have new adventures with Jesus.

My play project has also expanded to include writing and music practice. Two favored parts of my growing-up years. Part of my brain, the critical evaluator part, says in dismay, “As if you don’t have enough to do!” It is right. I have done the math and I know I am 3 times over-booked with things to do. But I am choosing to proceed with my new time priorities because these activities make me feel like I have my head on straight. I have found a part of myself that was lost. And most amazingly they have led me right into two of my life goals. I never imagined my personal play style could do this for me. I have been surprised by play.

In discussing this project with my daughter Terese she alerted me to an issue that many of the people she works with face. Their growing-up years were filled with troubles and they adopted some unhealthy play patterns. If this is the case for you then you will have the challenge of discovering healthy, life-giving play to put into your days.

Pursuing Growth Project:

1: Ask yourself: “When I was 10-20 years old what positive activities did I like to do when I had free time?”

2: Look for common themes.

3: Ask: “How can I put some of these themes into my life this week?”