We Learn as We Play

I am addicted to Words with Friends.  The revelation dawned on me this morning, as I currently have 7 games going, with my sister and friends from all over the United States.  This made think of the concept of play, the role is has in my life, and my friend Emilee who often says, “We learn as we play.”   

When was the last time you played chess/jenga/twister, put together a puzzle, flew a kite, or colored in a coloring book?  Those things may seem “childish”, but play is the most authentic doorway to learning.  By nature, humans are born to play. Playing is instinctive and fundamental to our existence. It is simultaneously a source of calmness and relaxation, as well as a source of stimulation for the brain and body. Playfulness helps us be more inventive, smart, happy, flexible, and resilient.  It is a way to develop and stimulate imagination, creativity, and problem-solving abilities. The components of play - curiosity, discovery, novelty, risk-taking, trial and error, pretense, games, social etiquette and other increasingly complex adaptive activities - are the same as the components of learning.

We often take play for granted, but it is as important to our physical and mental health as getting enough sleep, eating well, and exercising. Sharing joy, laughter and fun with others promotes bonding and strengthens a sense of community. We develop empathy, compassion, trust, and the capacity for intimacy through regular play. Play can also heal resentments, disagreements, and hurts. Through regular play, we learn to trust one another and feel safe. Trust enables us to work together, open ourselves to intimacy, and try new things. Social skills are learned in the give and take of play. Verbal communication and body language, safety and danger, freedom and boundaries, cooperation and teamwork: all are discovered and practiced repeatedly.


Despite the power of play, somewhere between childhood and adulthood, many of us stop playing. We exchange play for work and responsibilities. When we do have some leisure time, we're more likely to zone out in front of the TV or computer than to engage in creative, brain-stimulating play. Work is where we spend much of our time. That is why it is especially important for us to play during work. Without some recreation, our work suffers. Success at work doesn't depend on the amount of time you work. It depends upon the quality of your work. And the quality of your work is highly-dependant on your well-being.

Taking the time to replenish yourself through play is one of the best things you can do for your career. When the project you're working on hits a serious glitch (as they frequently do), heading out to the basketball court with your colleagues to shoot some hoops and have a few laughs does more than take your mind off the problem. Play allows your relationship to the problem to shift and enable you to approach it from a new perspective.

By giving ourselves permission to play with the joyful abandon of childhood, we can continue to reap its benefits throughout life.  To that I say, “ PLAY ON, PLAYER!”

-Nicole

For more information about “PLAY”, check out the following articles.

10 Reasons Play Can Make You Healthy, Happy, and More Productive – Top ten list of the many ways play contributes to mental and physical health. (U.S. News & World Report)

The Creativity Personality – Article by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi on the ten traits that many creative individuals share. (Psychology Today)

I Do NOT Work for Free

Monday morning, 8 a.m.  The phone rings from a prospective client. I’m hoping to continue the conversation about providing service for his event later this year.  He first assumed that I wouldn’t be available during the day to provide services, because I “must work somewhere else”.   *scratches head* He asked me if this was ‘something I do on the side.”  I vaguely remember him using the words “little massage business”.  He proceeds to tell me that the organization chooses quality vendors.  Then he said that he wanted to barter.   PAUSE.  Barter means “trade”.  What was he offering me in return for 14 hours of massage?  Nada.  I summed up that he didn’t want to conduct business.  He wants me to work for free!  “Exposure”, “ visibility”, whatever the verbally creative want to call it these days. 

I DO NOT WORK FOR FREE. PERIOD.  I learned this lesson at the tender age of 21, when working in the communication department for an NBA team.  I couldn’t pay my bills with game tickets!  (As an employee, you aren’t allowed to sell them)  Money is the tool we use to create a livelihood and quality of life experience here on this earth.   Now, don’t get it twisted.  I donate several massage therapy sessions annually for silent auction items to organizations and worthy causes that I or my clientbase support.   

Barter/trade is a useful tool.  Here is where I draw the line. The key is there must be a mutual benefit for both parties.  If you are organizing an event where there is a registration fee involved and participants are flying in from around the country, staying in hotels, renting cars, and eating out, why assume that I want to provide service for free to a group who does not live in my area and the likelihood of them becoming regular clients is slim to none? There is not much ROI (return on investment) in that situation for me to justify 14 hours of free massage therapy time, which is the equivalent of $1,330.

 I understand the economic concerns for trying to get as much bang for your budget, but why would you low-ball the small business owner?   We want to grow and expand, but can’t do that without capital and support from our community and client base.  It basically boils down to VALUE.  Do you value your community’s small business owners, especially service providers?

I recognize my role and responsibility to educate potential clients on who I am, how I run my business and what I expect of my clients.  First, in the State of Texas, a massage therapist must complete a certification program consisting of 500 hours, minimum, including 50 hands-on hours in clinical study BEFORE qualifying to sit for the state licensing exam.  Massage Therapy programs range from $3,000 to $5,000. The exam is in Austin and administered in two parts, one part practical, the other part written.  The exam costs $150 and takes most of day.  The license must be renewed every two years costing $110 and 12 hours worth of continuing education units, at an additional cost, must be completed during that period.   Since I am also a licensed aesthetician, I also completed a 750 hour program, took the licensing exam and must maintain that license bi-annually.  Did you also know I’m also a licensed massage instructor?  CEU provider? …and the licensing courses, exams, and fees continue.  

With over 10 years of professional massage therapy experience and thousands of hands-on massage hours under my belt, I aim to provide a high-quality massage experience for my clients.  I value them and I hope they value and respect all that I have invested in my education, training, and building this business.