The Philosophy of Playfulness: Embracing Change with Wonder
March 1, 2025 | Issue #04 | Playful Wonder
Welcome to Minds In Motion, your twice-a-month spark of thought provoking ideas, philosophy, and practical wisdom to keep you inspired and moving forward.
In this week's edition we’ll unpack:
Embracing Change as a Playground, Not a Battle – How shifting our mindset can make the unknown feel like an adventure instead of a struggle.
The Philosophy of Playfulness – Why approaching life with curiosity and wonder can lead to greater wisdom.
Reshaping the Mind – Letting go of outdated beliefs and consciously rebuilding the mental framework that serves us now.
May these words find you well, as we untangle our thoughts and explore new ideas…
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes."
— Marcel Proust, La Prisonnière
The Philosophy of Playfulness: Embracing Change with Wonder
The world is shifting, and so are we. Change is inevitable. Sometimes it comes creeping in like a slow tide, unnoticeable at first. Then other times, crashing down like an unexpected storm, with such force, it knocks us to the ground.
We can either welcome it with open arms or resist it with every fiber of our being, kicking and screaming, but one thing stands true—it will come. We can continuously search for our past selves, grasping and clawing at the comfort of who we once were, only to find that the old us no longer fits. Or, we can step forward with wide-eyed curiosity, like a child explorer—where everything is new, wonderful, and full of endless possibilities.
Okay, yes, life can be hard and is nothing short of a terrifyingly wondrous, awfully fantastical, magical roller coaster ride of amazingly beautiful and catastrophic events. A breathtaking contradiction of beauty, chaos, creation and destruction—
And so the sun’s rays can warm our skin, brighten our moods, but stare too long, and we go blind. The night sky offers an endless array of twinkling stars, distant planets, comfort and inspiration—yet in its vast emptiness, a vacuum nothing can survive. But still we look up in awe, drawn to the mystery of it all.
Maybe that’s the big secret—not just accepting change but dancing with it. Laughing hysterically at the absurdity of it all, playing in the uncertainty, and daring to see what happens when we stop gripping so tightly onto the past and allow ourselves to become.
Because growth isn’t about returning to who we were—it’s about stepping into who we’re meant to be. And the future isn’t waiting to be found.
It’s waiting to be created.
Philosophy of the Week:
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry— “All grown-ups were once children... but only a few of them remember it.”
The little prince reminds us grown-ups how we often lose sight of what truly matters, focusing on logic, labels, and expectations rather than wonder, curiosity, and heart. By embracing change with the same openness and imagination as a child, we allow ourselves to see possibilities beyond fear, because, as the prince shares with us—
“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
So this week and going boldly forward, when faced with change—big or small—pause and ask yourself: Am I looking at this with fear or with wonder?
Choose to explore, to be open, and to let go of the need for certainty. Growth isn’t about holding on; it’s about making space for what’s next.
Day2Day Survival Tip:
Rewiring the Mind & Cleaning Out the Cobwebs—Your brain is one of the most powerful tools on Earth, constantly absorbing, shaping, and reinforcing the patterns it learns at a speed of 10 bits per second. Our brains actually learn new things more easily and quickly than a computer, it also excels at adaptability.
From the moment we’re born, it works tirelessly to define what is "normal" and socially acceptable behavior based on the world and those directly around us. But what if that foundation that was built is no longer serving us? The truth is, we have the power to reshape our minds, rebuild the infrastructure of our old ways—but only if we make the conscious choice to do so and to keep at it.
Growth isn’t instant, nor is it always easy. Rewiring old thought patterns takes time, patience, and a willingness to start fresh. Be enthusiastic about the process!
Just as a long-neglected space gathers dust and clutter, our minds, too, require care and clearing. Sweep away the debris of outdated beliefs and self-doubt, and make room for something new. Everything worthwhile takes time—so be gentle with yourself as you rebuild.
Words of Wisdom:
Bird by Bird written by Anne Lamott, found its way to me through the hands of a dear friend and a well-timed recommendation from my therapist. It isn’t just a book about writing, it’s a book about life, filled with raw, insightful truths that resonated deeply. Of all its wisdom, Part Two, The Writing Frame of Mind, left the greatest impression on me.
So, to close this edition, I’d like to share a paraphrased passage from Anne Lamott, words that remind us to embrace the process, take things step by step, and trust that clarity will come— bird by bird.
You have to know who you are in the most compassionate possible sense. Then you can recognize others. It’s simple in concept, but not easy to do. It’s harder by far to look at yourself with this sense of compassionate detachment.
Try looking at your mind as a wayward puppy that you are trying to paper train. You don’t drop-kick a puppy into the neighbor’s yard every time it piddles on the floor. You just keep bringing it back to the newspaper. So I gently keep trying to bring my mind back to what is really there to be seen. Because If I don’t learn to do this, I think I’ll keep getting it wrong.
Here is one sentence by Gary Snyder, these words, less than twenty of them, make ripples clear and bright, distinct again:
"Ripples on the surface of water
were silver salmon passing under—
different from the sorts of ripples caused by breezes"
Thanks for reading!
Until next time, Guthrie
P.s. If burnout has been weighing you down, much like it has me, Dr. Kristin Neff’s Mindful Self-Compassion for Burnout is my book of the month and offers a powerful reminder that kindness toward yourself isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity.
