When is the last time that you did something silly? Something out of character? Something that was simply fun without any deep meaning? When was the last time that you acted like a kid without any fear of embarrassment or shame?

If you are sitting there thinking and thinking and thinking and still cannot come up with a time, then it has been way too long! We need to play. We need to do things that are simply fun. These activities feed our souls. Studies have actually shown that when adults play, they are emotionally and physically healthier.

These types of activities are doing things that have no “value”, according to the adult world. You are not learning something. You are not becoming a better person. You are not strengthening your relationship. That is not the purpose. The purpose is to get in touch with that part of you that you probably lost during your school years, when you were quite possibly mocked for being childish.

What I am suggesting is that those child-like behaviors keep us healthy, keep our relationships healthy, keep our bodies health. In fact, we become better parents. But again, that is not the purpose. The purpose is simply to play. Not keep score. Not make more money. Not buy a bigger car. But to run for the sheer joy of running. To take a nap in the grass under the warm sun. To read a trashy novel with no redeeming social value. To watch TV that makes us laugh. TO HAVE FUN!

So, go out right now, and find something that makes you laugh. Find something that warms your soul. Go eat a bowl of ice cream. Go hug someone. Go now, for the fun of it. And let your adult part revel in knowing that it is making you a better person. But whatever you do, do not tell your inner child that!