On the playground together

Flying or jumping? Same thing, different distances. (Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians)

This isn't school. You're a grownup now. Give yourself an A if you really want one.

You get out of it what you put into it — and you get to decide what that is going to look like. 

There is no "I didn't finish last time," or "I can't keep up with everyone else." It's not a race. It's not a contest. There is no scorekeeper, and there's no score.

There is only you, the work, and the people you choose to engage with.

Do the work or don't — nobody will check. 

Push through the painful parts — or avoid them and circle back later. 

Smoke yourself out of the places where you're hiding. Set goals and find accountability partners — or don't. it's up to you. 

What happens if you completely drop all sense of obligation? What if you treat whatever you do like the playground that it is? What happens if you let go of the things you think you should be doing and the way you think you should be doing them?

Our work can be an infinite game. There are no winners, and there are sure as hell no losers. I'm happy to play with you as long as we both want to. 

Remember that feeling of running or biking home after being out playing all day with your friends? You got inside and looked back out and realized for the first time that it was dark out. You never even noticed because you were having so much fun and so absorbed in what you were doing. And you got to do it all again tomorrow.

That's what this is — this life, this experience, this moment. If you want it to be.