Clarifying Work and Play for Myself

"Work and play," I used to say. While at my old job, people would ask me what I have been up to. I would respond with something like working and playing. Work was doing my job. Playing was hanging with family and friends doing things like playing golf, watching sports, and learning new things.

This week, I heard a discussion that made me rethink the words work and play. It was a discussion between Dr. Jordan Peterson and Bishop Robert Barron.

Dr. Peterson suggests:
Work is action that sacrifices the present for the future.
Play is aligning your future with the present.

This language resonates as I think about something like work. Work requires toil, effort, and well, sacrifice. Work is often difficult, but it leads to a payoff at some point in the future.

When I think about play, positive emotions come to mind. What happens when I'm engrossed in play? I lose track of time. My future and present become one. Usually play involves something I enjoy.

Understanding what we enjoy is a very deep conversation. Dr. Peterson and Bishop Barron's conversation provides clues to the thing we should aim at to find alignment.

Bishop Barron suggests your being increases in the measure it is given away. Doing this leads to an infinite loop of grace from God. The good news is we can tap into this infinite loop of grace.

To reiterate, play is aligning the future with the present. I want to participate in a future where we are all spiraling upward in God's infinite loop of grace. Therefore, I need to give away my being to be a conduit for God's grace.

Presently, I'm on a mission to help anyone build a profitable business people love. Then, business owners and their teams can be in a state of play.

Now, the answer is simple to the question, "What have I been up to?"

Today and every day, "I play."

Here's a link to Dr. Peterson discussing play and a link to Bishop Barron discussing the loop of grace.