Play, Laughter, and Much Appreciation
From Childhood…
I would like to share how play has become such a priority in my life. My father, a very straight-laced, “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” kind of man, also has a wonderful ability to joke and play around. The way he moves his entire body when he’s being playful reminds me so much of the brilliant Steve Martin. Together, we weren’t so much gushy with love and affection but gushing with jokes and laughs! Funny was the threa
d that brought us together. This is how we shared love, making each other LAUGH.
As a kid, we would watch Saturday Night Live shows and comedies. We would drive for several hours in the car with my older brother. After my parents’ divorce (when I was 7), our dad would pick us up for monthly visits. With Dad and my brother in the front seat cracking each other up for our several hours at a time. Of course, I wanted to join in and give it my best shot. Mostly to them I wasn’t so funny, but here and there I would crack them up and I would feel elated! The reward for me was huge: I was part of the gang and I felt connected! From this early age, I started to look at the world through the eyes of “what’s funny?” and “I want to make people laugh!”
Much of my time I spent with my mom, who’s a very generous, thoughtful, and loving person. She worked a full-time job, doing her best to make a good life for us. Recently, she mentioned to me, “you were constantly happy — all the time — singing and dancing around.” On car rides home after school, I remember getting so much joy making my Mom laugh. I recall her willingness to laugh at my silly antics and sometimes strange ideas. In my mind, this was the best way I could help her feel better after the divorce. I remember feeling that I wanted to see her happy. My goal became making her laugh, because it was a good feeling we shared together.
Laughter is the only thing contagious you can get happy about:
I know that, in large part, I am living this life to remind people to live in joy, play, laughter, and fun. Each time you uplift another, the feeling or action ripples outward. Begin by measuring a successful day by asking yourself: Did I play? Did I uplift someone today? Did I laugh? Did I make someone else laugh?
PLAY! Make it a priority!
As children, we all instinctively know that a large part of life is meant to be fun, inspiring and playful. Children find surprises in life everywhere, and it makes them laugh. This is the place where we hold that creative spark, thoughts flow, we’re connecting new ideas, our mind is flexible, and we are in awe of life’s wonder. As adults, we too often stop ourselves from becoming surprised by the wonder of life’s magic.
I see many people looking for ways to make themselves happy. Often it’s later the future and missing many opportunities to be immersed and love the moment right where they are. Myself included. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the “got to get somewhere” attitude. Towards the end of college, after studying Psychology, graphic design, and loads of dabbling in subjects, I began to ask myself much larger questions. How can I help make people’s lives better? What’s important in their lives? And what’s missing in their lives? My answer: the joy of life!
Working With Kathleen:
Working with Kathleen has been one of the most uplifting experiences of my life, and it is my hope that as you read our story, it will inspire you to create your life or your next project in a similar way. The essential piece in how we created Guiding Signs 101, was the understanding that Guiding Signs have already been created. We are pulling the details from the future through listening and being guided. It wasn’t until now, a year later that I fully understood, fully knew how much this way of creating was going to impact my entire life.
Imagine for a moment if someone approached you to help them with a project and said:
I’d like you to collaborate with me on a creative project, and through our working together this is what will unfold: we will trust. We will create a flow that works for both of us. We will not try to figure out what to do, we will allow all details to unfold with ease and grace. We will expand together beyond that which we already know. We will set aside trying to push, figure out, or dominate. I will tell you honestly with gentle love what I’m thinking and feeling.
I will tell you at every juncture how much I appreciate you. I will tell you how much I value the way you see the world, I trust your discernment and know that you are capable of handling new things. Any idea you present, I will consider it with open arms. I’ll tell you though the process that you are brilliant, gifted, loving, and creative. Together we will celebrate our efforts, we will take time to play, pause, share, love, uplift, and honor each other. We will give attention to the smallest details and listen deeply, allowing every detail to be infused with heart and meaning. Through this process you’ll learn to trust your intuition, and trust in yourself.
Then we will see and understand that this creation will become something much bigger than we could have imagined. A gift for helping humanity. And you will not be the same person as a result.
This sounds like a fairytale story! Since working with Kathleen it has been my reality. The love and kindness I witness is a deep thread in every aspect of Kathleen’s life. It;s so rare to know someone so understanding, connected to her heart, and full of wisdom. She has a natural way of helping me to see what’s good in every situation and how life is a gift each day. I trust myself more fully, I experience more joy, my heart has a greater capacity to love and to be loved. I am in great appreciation. Thank you Kathleen!
