What if work felt more like building sandcastles again?
Permission to play.
Thereβs a special kind of magic to a beach in the off-season.
Most of the resorts were closed for renovations, their windows dark. The usual crowds were gone, leaving the sand smooth and untouched. It felt like we had stumbled into a private paradise, with the sound of the waves being the only thing on the soundtrack. We had these stunning, world-class beaches almost entirely to ourselves.
And in the middle of all that quiet, I saw something I canβt stop thinking about.
A couple, maybe in their 50s, was completely lost in an activity.
They were building a sandcastle. But they werenβt using plastic buckets or shovels. Instead, they were dripping wet sand through their fingers, slowly forming intricate, gothic-style towers. It looked like something GaudΓ would have designed.
They werenβt helping any kids; they were just there, together, fully immersed in the joy of creating something.
In that simple, focused act, I saw a powerful truth about ourselves. This is our natural state. We are born to be creators, to play, to build things just for the sake of it.
But as we get older, society tells us to stop. Weβre told that games are for kids and that adults should focus on more βseriousβ things. Weβre conditioned to believe that we just donβt have the time for play.
Imagine if we didnβt have all those commitments. Weβd probably all be on a beach somewhere, building our own sandcastles.
That couple reminded me that age has no limit for play. The digital age has opened up endless opportunities for us to build a life filled with more joy and playful momentsβa career that feels less like a chore and more like creating something beautiful in the sand.
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