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The Power of Play: Finding Joy Beyond Productivity · STOPTIME: Live in the Moment.

• 0:23
  Speaker 1: Hey there.
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: So I play badminton with my husband on a narrow green strip between our cottage and the lake.
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: He lets me stand with the wind behind my back so that I have the best chance of returning his serve.
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: He loves to whack the birdie high into the tree branches as I crane my neck trying to guess where it will parachute down.
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: As I crane my neck trying to guess where it will parachute down, and if I manage to catch it before it hits the ground, we feel this surge of delight and connection.
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: As it flies back toward him in the blue blue sky.
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: He lunges for even the most impossible returns, rolling to the ground like a Martha Graham dancer as I laugh until I cry.
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: Sometimes I swear I can see the flowers leaning away from his wild swatting, fearing for their purple petals.
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: I smile though, as he pats their delicate heads gently and our cats observe from the windowsill.
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: We play often, but there's no scheduled time.
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: You won't find our spontaneous shuttle cocking on either of our to-do lists or calendars.
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: Our game is unattached to outcome and well, at least from the outside, doesn't move us any closer to any goals or aspirations.
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: But the added value of this unplanned daily intermission is immense, and it doesn't cost a penny a penny.
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: I believe deeply in hard work, dedication and proactivity.
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: What I'm learning, though, is that, at least for me, success is not defined only by hours, logged, money earned, words written or credits accumulated.
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: Where's the value in working so hard that even our most productive days simply leave us feeling spent and unable to reap the rewards of our hard work?
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: I am so very fortunate and grateful to love my work, and sometimes I find it difficult to pull myself away, but I'm always glad that I did.
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: Who knows, who knows how much might have gotten done if we hadn't chosen to take the time to play.
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: Well, what I do know is that, when my husband and I return to our work, we feel more energized and connected to each other, to ourselves and to whatever it is we want to focus on.
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: I smile at the joy my husband and I have accumulated playing shuttlecock on the green grass by the lake.
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: We're not very good at it you could even say we put the bad in badminton but I wouldn't trade our shuttle cocking for anything in the world.
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: We don't play with a net or have any idea how to count points, but if you asked me how to count points.
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: But if you asked me, I'd say the score is always love, love.
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: I'm Lisa Hopkins.
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: Thanks so much for listening.
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: I cannot encourage you enough to put some play in your life today.
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: So much love and light.
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: Stay safe and healthy, everyone, and remember to live in the moment.