“The paradox of play is that it recharges us, refreshes us, rejuvenates us, and allows us to go back an do great work. If we don’t allow ourselves to play, we become joyless. We become serious. We have to take pills just to sit still and focus. Human beings need play. It is not a childish activity, it is essential to our wellbeing.” ~ Charlie Hoehn
Charlie Hoehn had a good life on the outside, but on the inside he was falling apart. He thought he was going crazy. He was tired and afraid all the time. At any moment, he felt like people were going to attack him. He began to isolate. He even felt ashamed that he was having this feeling. After all, life was good. He had nothing to complain about, but he began to feel numb inside. Soon the panic attacks started. He went through all the normal routes to get his life back: doctors, exercise, healers, diet changes, meditation and prayer.
How did he cure himself?
By rediscovering play — not just the activity of play, but the state of mind. He re-learned how to access an attitude of play. He met a friend to throw the baseball around just because he enjoyed it. He let go of the judgement that it was a waste of time. He began to make more play dates with friends. It did not happen all at once, but with consistent doses of play in his life, he began to heal. Having the flexibility to move back and forth from an attitude of work to an attitude of play saved his life and cured his anxiety.
“The great workers of the world are really the great players of the world.”
~ Mark Twain
Are you a workaholic? Stressed? Burnt out?
Watch Charlie Hoehn on “The Power of Play”
Read “Play it Away” by Charlie Hoehn
Join Dr. Joel Ying and Deb Jewett in a Residential Retreat on Rediscovering Play
