{"id":30026,"date":"2015-08-04T17:58:34","date_gmt":"2015-08-04T21:58:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wanderlust.com\/?p=30026"},"modified":"2018-03-09T16:03:12","modified_gmt":"2018-03-09T21:03:12","slug":"finding-balance-in-work-and-play","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/ro\/journal\/finding-balance-in-work-and-play\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding Balance in Work and Play"},"content":{"rendered":"

We all aspire to it, but why is it so hard to achieve?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Some call it a healthy work\/life balance, but I believe there\u2019s a lens with more depth to look through.\u00a0One of the chief reasons we feel off-kilter is because we are dramatically play-deprived.\u00a0Our society has substituted good old-fashioned recess with our friends, often in exchange for the concept of a \u201chappy hour.\u201d\u00a0We write it off as just something that happens when we get older, but that\u2019s no excuse.<\/p>\n

If play is the ultimate prescription, why is it so hard to make time to seek it?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As a video producer, the hours are long and the work can be very stressful. It\u2019s not as glamorous as it seems, and without proper rejuvenation it can really take a toll on your body and mind.\u00a0Whether I\u2019m out in the field filming something epic or stuck in my editing cave, a simple practice of play\u2014even just a few minutes a day\u2014makes all the difference. But very soon, my good friend Charlie Hoehn (author of\u00a0Play it Away<\/em>) and I are launching a play movement that inspires us all to get an hour of play each day, no matter your age (Check out\u00a0The Recess Project<\/a>).\u00a0Stay tuned for our launch coming soon, we\u2019d love to invite you to our next recess!<\/p>\n

I remember how play totally transformed my life a little over five years ago.\u00a0I was working in network television at the time,\u00a0and while I fully dedicated myself to an awesome career, my recreational life was seriously suffering. That\u2019s when I met my wife Kelly, who organized an interactive circus in Zilker Park with some friends.\u00a0That group changed my life.\u00a0I fulfilled a life long dream to run away with the circus, touring festivals together.\u00a0The pursuit of a lifestyle of play has been an extraordinary experience, but it\u2019s so easy to forget what nourishes me and brings me back to my center in the intensity of life commitments coming from every direction.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why I picked up slacklining. To be honest, it\u2019s become my preferred form of meditation.\u00a0I got bored of sitting on a cushion and closing my eyes.\u00a0What I\u2019ve found in this\u00a0moving meditation\u00a0<\/em>of walking on thin webbing and focusing my gaze on a tree has been nothing short of transcendent.<\/p>\n

And it only takes a few minutes on the line to feel like my etch-a-sketch mind\u00a0has been shaken and cleared.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

One of the major reasons why we\u2019ve fallen away from play is because we\u2019ve lost touch with what excites us.\u00a0I remember the joy of a new toy.\u00a0The anticipation of discovering a new\u00a0activity outdoors. As a kid, I was gifted the freedom of riding my bike anywhere I wished.\u00a0Today, too many of us adults lose track of seeking novel opportunities that light us up.<\/p>\n

One of the coolest projects that Kelly and I do with\u00a0<\/em>Circus Picnic<\/a> is going on tour with the\u00a0Wanderlust Festival<\/a>!\u00a0We\u2019re on the road with them now making films.\u00a0The experience is the perfect medicine for many of us, offering an experience to get outside the noise and be inspired by a mindful community.\u00a0And oh yeah, there\u2019s SO MUCH PLAY!\u00a0Watch this short cinematic video that shows highlights from the first fest we filmed in beautiful Snowshoe, West Virginia.\u00a0Can you spot Kelly and I?\u00a0If you can\u2019t find a small thing to do that connects you with play every day, then maybe it\u2019s time to go on an extended retreat and reclaim your playfully alive side\u2026
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