Have you ever noticed how ideas flow freely when your mind is relaxed? That when you stop actively working on a problem, an answer shows up? We often think of these as ‘shower’ moments, and they can happen anytime we relax our minds.
I recently had my own shower moment – about playfulness.
In our first podcast of 2025, we talked with two of our team members, Dave Falle and Lori Holtz. They’re essential parts of our behind the scenes process and bring great wisdom to the table. At one point in the episode, Stephanie asked each of us, “what is your anchor?”
Let me explain.
We had been talking about the highs and lows in both life and business and the importance of emotional regulation (trying to mitigate those highs and lows). Stephanie wanted to hear how each of us managed that in our own lives, how we anchored ourselves so that our peaks and troughs were more like rolling hills than mount Everest.
While I was listening to Dave, my mind was relaxed and, I had a shower moment, an ‘aha’. My brain was quiet and I saw it. He was talking about more than just ‘staying positive’, I realized that he had a key for us as leaders, and us as human beings.
😉 Playfulness.
Dave’s Wisdom
So what did Dave share?
(podcast spoiler alert)
Dave’s ‘go-to’, so that he doesn’t get taken off course -his anchor- is to intentionally change something he doesn’t like by literally flipping it on its head – and here’s the twist the crazier the better.
When you find yourself not liking what you’re thinking, or saying, cut it off and try the exact opposite thought “even if it sounds crazy”. Actually, he says, the more ridiculous and funnier it sounds, the better. He shares that it “totally negates the whole emotional drag, the whole drama of the negative situation”.
Whether it’s somebody cutting you off in traffic, or cutting you off in a meeting, a fight with a spouse or not being valued at work – it instantly takes the charge off the internal situation and opens a door of opportunity.
In addition to keeping you from going down a rabbit hole of anger, despair, or simply muttering oaths about someone with whom you work, exercising the right side of your brain in this way has SO many more benefits.
(Listen to the full podcast, Ep 175: Play- the Leadership skill for 2025 on your favorite podcast platform, or here)
Healing happens on the right side of the brain, on the creative side, in the imagination.
A little known truth that Stephanie often shares is that healing happens on the right side of the brain, the creative, playful side. The right side of the brain is also the one that helps us deal with unfamiliar situations.
Imagine a world where ease with life, healing and feeling safe in the unknown were the norm – and then ask yourself, how can I build the skill of playfulness in 2025?
Play and Business
So does this work in business, too?
Just ask Anooska Tucker-Evans, a 16 year old who, at age 12, invented a hearing device to help her friend who has Cerebral Palsy so that she could ‘feel human’ when people talk to her. It’s turned into her very successful business, My Voice Communications.
Or Kenny Lee who transformed his passion for LEGO into a $12 million business by creating LED lighting kits for LEGO sets. His playful approach not only tapped into a niche market but also resonated with adult LEGO enthusiasts seeking to enhance their creations.
It’s not just for the idea stage of a business, it can help you build you business, like Sarah Blakey, founder of the shapewear brand Spanx, who infused humor and playfulness into her brand’s identity and marketing.
Playfulness opens doors, it helps people feel comfortable, it breaks down walls, within ourselves and between partners, co-workers and clients, and it gives us the space to heal – both inside and out.
Where will playfulness fit into your leadership role or business model? Let us know in our Facebook group!
“We carry inside us the wonders we seek outside us.”
~Rumi
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