Playing TOGETHER: An Antidote to Perfectionism, Isolation & the Sucky Status Quo (And Dance #3)

When nothing is hidden, we can no longer be separate. In our complete vulnerability, we open to all and to everything. - Julie Daley

What would happen if you let yourself PLAY? Not just a little, but a LOT... like a child with few fears about "good" or "right"?

What if we let ourselves play as adults... together? All a bit below par? All a bit "bad" and "wrong"? All entering the realm of the vulnerable, loving and free?

What would happen to the world if we had that much collective permission to play?

Will you just breathe that question in with me for a moment?

I envision a whole lotta shakin' down into our skin, a whole lot less pressure, a whole lot more joy.

Unfortunately, our culture obsessively encourages individuals to get it "right", look "good", have it "figured out", be a STAR, "help yourself". If not, you the individual, are subject to the weight of shamed identities like "stupid", "foolish", "bad", "naive", "risky", "reckless", "weak", "FAILURE".

Even those of us who intentionally evade this competitive, perfection-based edge, are still subject to societal forces: the activities we play growing up, the schools where we're taught, our global economic system, the crap media that's streaming endlessly, our friends, families and co-workers who are equally subject to unkind conditions.

Let's face it: we're within a structure that encourages dog-eat-dog, whether we like it, or not; whether we adhere to it, or not.

We do all kinds of things as individuals to try to compensate for our unkind structure; both functional and dysfunctional. We become weight-conscious, image-conscious, status-conscious, kindness-conscious. We give money, we vote, we work hard, we pop pills, we pray. The list goes on. You're familiar with it.

While I encourage people to responsibility and ownership for their personal lives (integrity is HOT), there's another element to my perspective; one that's often lost in the world of helping professions. And that's this:

If we are not in practice together, our efforts are straight up unsustainable. 

Why? Because at the end of the day, if we don't find ourselves supported by the whole, we go right back into the cycle of internalizing and individualizing our experiences. Isolation? It's your own fault. Loneliness? It's your own fault. Addiction? It's your own fault. Poverty? It's your own fault. You own problem to solve, alone.

Where are the opportunities to be in a new world, a new way--together?

Where is the new structure that's going to support our collective liberation?--not just our piece-meal one?

That's what this dance-a-thon is about. It's a trial, a model, an experiment in saying yes to PLAY together. (It's not everything--not at all. But it's something.)

The current systems and structures don't hold the true weight of our desires for connection and meaning... for a whole new world.

The time is NOW for new ways to emerge, for new trials to be had, for new risks to be taken.

We take these risks for the sake of togetherness, for sake of deep self-expression, for the sake of connection... for the "aching joy" as Julie Daley puts it, that makes you completely available to life.

If you've been watching on the side-lines, unsure of your capacity to join in, I encourage you to give it a try. Do one song, one dance. Or make up your own game and link below anyway! Or go out into the world and join a group that calls to you.  Let yourself get out there. Step into this collective encouragement. We're here to say YES to you and make a stir over your courage. Really.

~~~~~

This particular video is what came out when I invited Brian to play along. It's simply what it is--we laughed... hard... the entire time. We hated the song. We looked silly! We were having fun. (Can you tell this man helps me take myself less seriously?!)



One of my FAVORITE parts about this experiment is all the love that's being showered around. Take a look at Meg's website. Her dances are from the soul. Her body moves with deep grace and joy. Then head over to Susan's site where she's letting the music move her body in yoga. Leave comments at their pages. Tell them what you see in them that's alive and wondrous.

That's what this is about--seeing, being seen, saying yes to all our imperfect beauty and vitality. We are god-sent. Let it be felt and known. Let us play together.

Add your site to this magical widget below... I stop by each site every day to see what's there. I can't help but shower love, because our courage is so inspiring.