We forgot how to play, and it's making life suck.

I was having a conversation with a client and we were discussing how adults, and really even a lot of our teenagers, don’t actually know how to play anymore.

And I don't mean relax. I mean PLAY.

Somewhere along the way, everything started needing a purpose.

If you’re going to spend time on something, it should be "useful." "Productive." "Meaningful." It should help you get somewhere, and let's not forget - it should probably make money.

Otherwise, what's the point? It's just a waste of time, right?

We’re so used to thinking this way that most people don’t even notice it. You start a hobby, and immediately your brain goes to:

Could I sell this?
Should I turn this into a business?
Is this worth the time I’m spending on it?
Am I good enough at this to justify doing it?

Even as kids, we get this message.

You want to make friendship bracelets? Cool. Maybe you can sell them.

You like drawing? Take some lessons.

You like writing? Submit your story to a magazine!

And none of those things are bad on their own, but when everything has to lead somewhere, you lose the ability to do something just because it feels good to do it.

And that matters more than most people realize - because play isn’t pointless.

Play is one of the ways your nervous system resets. It's how you learn, it's how you understand yourself and your world. It's how you become you...

But if your brain believes everything has to be productive, play starts to feel uncomfortable instead of relaxing.

Comment below and tell me: When was the last time you did something that didn’t need to go anywhere, didn’t need to be good, and didn’t need to be useful?

-Andi