Final Days

Beloveds,

As we are on the cusp of the New Year, we have opportunity to take inventory of what 2024 offered us and transform that into deeper learning. We can take that learning and apply it to what 2025 offers us. There’s much we can’t control in life and much we can. We are co-creators of our realities, in partnership with the Divine.

In these final days of the year, what have I learned about my 2024 theme: PLAY?

I have explored the possibility that work can be fun. When I wrote fun, just now, I didn’t mean enjoyable. I meant more than that. I meant energizing. I meant delightful. I meant the kind of fun you have on vacation or pay for.

I meant taking work less seriously. I trend towards being a serious person - no in the glum, bah humbug, kermudginny kind-of-way, but tin the thoughtful, careful, my life matters! kind-of-way.

My intent to make good decisions and have positive impact & grow (i.e. mature) gets me focused on productivity, results, and impact.

It’s wild writing this out, because I can see the flaw in this manner of being. No one wants to be around a person who is always serious, which is naturally a hinderance to my influence.

I feel there is so much inside me to share, but struggle with getting it out.

Play seems crucial.

In the last 2 classes of Clown 1, we dipped our toe more and more into what our personal clown might be. I found my clown to be light, ever-encouraging, always smiling, full of thumbs up and pats on the back, more concerned about the well-being of others than her own, willing to laugh and move right past awkwardness and mess-ups. It felt quite good.

My path to clown school was one of earnestness for the lessons it might bring. My intent to be silly, play, goof-off, fully express and experience the range of noises and movements I can make without judgement, the target to see others while also being seen - they paid off with their insight and now experiential knowledge. (There’s a difference between knowing conceptually and knowing in your body, heart, and spirit.)

I’m so, so grateful for play.

Now I play on purpose solo and with friends. Want more play in your life? Join the next “Play on Purpose” on IG live in partnership with Dex Ereon. So far we’ve played with poetry, drawing with shapes and color, and I sense some food-themed play in our near future!

There is safety required for play. If you’re noticing you don’t play often (participating in activities for no reason other than enjoyment), you might considerable small bites of accessible play:

• Look in your closet/dresser and assemble and outfit with different combinations that you’ve ever worn

• Grab a spice your not very familiar with and add it to a treat or dish

• Mix together different teas to make your own specialty tea-tail

• Put a single favorite song on the speaker and move your body in whatever way feels good

• Go on a walk, looking for anything that catches your eye and send to someone who you think might enjoy it

• Try writing a knock-knock joke

• Where a hat to a setting you normally wouldn’t

1. How did 2024 offer you big lessons? How did they differ from what you expected?

2. What is your relationship to play?

3. If you were to play on purpose, what would you do?

4. How do you combine work and play?

May you always see the blessing.

-esb

P.S. - Thanks for being here. I’d love to hear how you’re doing & what you’re learning!

P.P.S. - All the art in these newsletters is mine, unless otherwise specified.

P.P.P.S. - Beloveds! We’re 11 days out from the 2025 New Year’s Theme Retreat. ONLINE ONLY this year! Lucky you - you can join from anywhere AND pay what you want. We already have a great crew of humans looking lean into growth this next year by spending time listening and moving into the wisdom inside them. We’d love to have you join. And I’d love to have you share with any that you think my benefit from the gift of my offering.