I've been reminded these last couple of weeks of the importance in my life of play - and how incredibly underestimated its value has become in my life over the last seven or eight years.

I've been talking about the importance of the words we use - out loud and inside our heads, and how positive self-talk can help us be more joyful.

Hitting the Restart button is another mantra of mine. We can always stop and start again - stop a negative thought pattern and restart it with something positive, stop telling ourselves we aren't good enough and restart the thought by affirming that we're always still learning. We can't change our situations in an instant, or even a day, but I like to say that if we stay in Today's Box, we can work on the things we can change today.

How does all this apply to playing and working and healing? Play is an important part of our makeup as human beings. But as we become adults with more and more responsibilities, we push ourselves to work harder, leaving less and less time for play. We consider play and procrastination to be different words for the same thing.

But when I restarted a focus on playing over the last couple weeks, I made an amazing discovery. Not only was playing healing what ailed me in my heart and mind, but I became more productive during my work hours! I actually got more done, but without the anvil-lined cloud that previously hung over my head.

I hope this episode helps you think about the relationship between play and work in your life. And if necessary, I hope you also find answers that lead to healing.