Summary

The article advocates for embracing playfulness and a game-like approach to life to overcome its challenging aspects and enjoy the journey.

Abstract

The author of the article, Gregory Russell Benedikt, suggests that adopting a playful mindset can significantly enhance one's life experience. He argues that by treating life as a game and engaging with it lightheartedly, individuals can turn mundane or annoying tasks into enjoyable activities. Benedikt likens this transformation to "eating a shit sandwich," a metaphor for the necessary but unpleasant parts of life, and recommends adding personal touches of fun to make these tasks more bearable. He emphasizes the importance of shifting from a serious, intense approach (Yang energy) to a more flexible, creative, and playful one (Yin energy) to improve social interactions and overall well-being. The article encourages readers to cultivate joy, wonder, playfulness, and humor in their daily lives, citing the benefits of such an approach both personally and in interactions with others.

Opinions

The author believes that playfulness is not just for enjoyment but can also be a tool for handling life's practical and necessary tasks.
Benedikt suggests that adding humor and personal quirks to daunting tasks, like doing taxes or cleaning the house, can make them more enjoyable.
He uses the concept of "Yin and Yang" energies to illustrate the benefits of balancing seriousness with playfulness in life.
The author practices what he preaches by infusing humor into his own challenges, such as promoting his writing on social media.
Benedikt encourages readers to engage playfully in conversations and activities, suggesting that this approach can lead to more fulfilling interactions and a less stressful life.
He endorses the idea that life should not be taken too seriously, quoting Elbert Hubbard to reinforce the message that a playful attitude can make life more enjoyable and less of a struggle.
The article promotes the idea that by following these principles, individuals can leave their unique mark on the world and become superstars in their own lives.

How to Make The Annoying Parts of Your Life Fantastic

Why playfulness will change your life

I’m convinced that the best way to go through life is to treat it as one big game.

The moment you begin to stop stressing and start playing, that’s the moment you’ll be able to win the high score.

It’s through playfully engaging with life — handling everything with a light touch — that you leave your unique soulprint on the world.

We’ve all seen this before. It’s the Southwest flight attendant who raps his entire safety speech and receives a standing ovation. Or the unnamed Dance Dance Revolution legend who performs an impossibly complex array of foot movements while keeping his glasses firmly in place.

These feats amaze us because they seem superhuman. And maybe they are!

But you can be a superstar too.

All it takes is for you to shift the way you engage with life.

Make it ridiculous

Play is defined as “engaging in an activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.” It’s choosing to do something because it feels fun to you, not because you feel like you should be doing it.

Okay, that seems straightforward enough. Do the things you like to do because they are fun.

But aren’t there aspects of life we need to attend to that won’t feel fun?

Absolutely.

Mark Manson calls these tasks “eating a shit sandwich.” He explains that we all have to eat a shit sandwich every once in a while.

I really resonate with this.

Not because I enjoy eating shit, but because I’ve realized that I’ll have to overcome my resistance to certain aspects of my passion if I want to be great.

These are the tasks that are an inevitable part of our journey. The secret isn’t to avoid them but instead to shift the way we relate to them.

Here is some unsolicited advice:

Hate doing your taxes?

Log into Turbo Tax in your underwear and blast your favorite music while clicking away. Add cookies and a glass of vino for maximum enjoyment.

Hate cleaning the house?

Drink an orange mocha frappuccino and put Zoolander on in the background while you vaccum-dance around the living room.

Okay, okay, here’s a more relevant example.

For me, posting my writing to social media and attempting to write a good description/caption is my shit sandwich. I feel like I imagine my dad did when I handed him an Xbox controller and told him to figure it out.

Hilariously incompetent.

I make this necessary aspect of my journey bearable by adding humor and take things less seriously. If I attempt to write a serious caption, I usually struggle endlessly and then hate myself.

If I write something that I think is funny, however, I get the job done and do it with a big smile on my face.

The big shift

I said the big shift, not the big shit. Just making sure you are paying attention.

The big shift entails changing the way you engage with life. It’s a shift from serious to playful, from Yang to Yin.

Yang represents masculine energy and can be intense and unyielding. Yin is feminine energy and is flexible, creative, and unassuming.

Just think of having a conversation with someone you just met. If you make the small talk literal and serious, it can feel like an interrogation.

What do you do? What do you like? Who do you know here!?

If instead you engage playfully, perhaps smiling devilishly while telling them you love their shoes, you’ll find the conversation going in a completely different direction.

Be playful, dammit!

The only way for you to figure out if what I’m saying is true is to try it. The next time you are interacting with someone, find a way to crack a joke or make them smile.

Stop being so focused on your goals that you forget to enjoy life.

I wrote that equally for you as I did for me.

Once you manage to cultivate your playful state of being, you will be amazed at what happens. Life will start to feel more like a game and less like a struggle.

Live inside an emotional state that is a blend of pure joy, wonder, playfulness, humor.

You got this, I believe in you, and remember the following:

“Do Not Take Life Too Seriously. You Will Never Get Out Of It Alive.”

- Elbert Hubbard

I really did want to shout out someone other than Vincent Van Patten on this post, but the guy has blue hair right now and seems to be having more fun than most of us.

If you don’t believe me, check out his newsletter from a few weeks ago:

Flirting With the World Will Make Life Much More Fun

My January 21st weekly insights newsletter

vincentvanpatten.medium.com

I can guarantee you’ll leave with a smile on your face.

Did I say anything that made you smile, pause, or ponder? If so, follow me on medium and check out my website to get to know me better. I’m a coach, a podcast host, and you can join my newsletter, Weekly Wonderings, for Monday morning motivation!