Friendship

"Good Old School Friends" by Aman Shrivastaya on Unsplash. Creative Commons.

Friendship—what a gift! When you find a true friend, you find someone who will not judge you when you fail. A friend is someone who knows you well, someone who knows your little quirks, your strengths, your weaknesses, those moments you’ve risen to life’s challenges and those other times when you’ve felt so dog-tired you’ve only felt like saying, “Whatever; I don’t really care.”

If you haven’t connected with a friend like that in a while, we invite you today to reach out to them, just to let them know how much they mean to you. Do it today for you never know what tomorrow holds.

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PlayFull exists to help people "play from the inside out." We invite you to like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. Thank you for reading! 

Social Media: Control + Alt + Delete

Social Media: Control + Alt + Delete

by Troy Cady

Photo by Glen Carrie on Unsplash

While it is possible to sustain a playful way of relating to social media, it is not always easy. Many people this time of year decide to intentionally limit their social media usage or cut it out altogether for a while (or permanently). Indeed, experts in the fields of mental, emotional, and spiritual health recommend as much.

Social media usage even has effects that can be detrimental to one’s physical health. Consider this list from a recent article by the BBC World Service.[i]

• Dopamine - A pleasure neurochemical linked with instant reward but also addiction. Technology is increasingly being designed to specifically trigger the release of dopamine.

• Adrenaline - Best known for regulating our responses in fight-or-flight situations, but also released by likes and pokes on social media.

• Cortisol - The hallmark of stressed-out, sleep-deprived, too-busy and distracted individuals.

• Oxytocin - Released when we have exchanges in a meaningful connection. It is generally healthy but online predators can tap into its effects to abuse their victim's trust.

• Serotonin - Released when we are creative, connected, and contributing.

• Endorphins - The "painkiller" of the body. Released when we experience mindfulness, meditation, gratitude, and cardiovascular exercise.

Those who limit or abstain from social media discover these alternatives are healthier:

Reading or listening to audiobooks (or podcasts)

Journaling, creative writing or sending hand-written letters

Drawing, painting or taking photographs

Exercising or playing sports; even going for a short 15-minute walk can do wonders

Playing unplugged games

Working with your hands: needlework, gardening, crafts, sculpture

Spending time with a friend

Taking a class to learn a new skill or to learn about a topic of interest to you

Dancing or listening to live music—there are plenty of free options available if you look for them

Practicing prayer, meditation or simple breathing exercises

Participating in a local church or other faith community

Volunteering for a good cause

Trying out some new recipes

Attending a storytelling group that meets weekly or monthly (they are not as threatening as you might imagine!)

As you set goals for healthy living in 2019, what real-life practices feel life-giving to you? Even choosing just one or two things to do regularly can make a world of difference. PlayFull encourages you to live a life beyond the digital world; you’ll thank yourself for it!

And, yes: we’re aware of the irony that we just used social media to post these thoughts! :-)

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[i] List by Pablo Uchoa, “Why a ‘tech diet’ should be your New Year’s resolution,” BBC World Service. Source:  http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20181227-why-a-tech-diet-should-be-your-new-years-resolution. Accessed: January 2, 2019.

What To Do Onboard a Ship of Fools

Since the Spirit dwells inside you, it can sometimes be difficult sorting out what seems to be the Spirit's leading and what may be your own ideas, so don't be too troubled if you get it wrong from time to time.

When that happens, ask God to show you whether you should cry or just laugh at yourself. Sometimes the latter may be just the right thing because we needn't take ourselves too seriously. Nobody is that together, though they may look like it. Actors do not leave their makeup on when the cameras turn off. Were we to face the truth about ourselves, we'd all have to admit we're just a bunch of idiots that still have a heckuva lot to learn.

When we realize this about ourselves, then and only then can we say to others, “Would you like to be a part of this ship of fools?” Oddly, that kind of invitation feels like freedom. There is no threat to getting on-board with a bunch of sailors that could use some help charting a course. "Just be one of us: imperfect." Such company may better be called genuine friendship, even solidarity. Sounds great by me.

Join a group of idiots: like PlayFull on Facebook or Follow us on Twitter. Thank you for reading!