“Some jobs look like work to others, but it looks like play to you.” — Naval Ravikant
My summers as a kid were always packed with fun.
No, I wasn’t playing outdoors. No beaches or sand castles.
I was on the bunk bed, inches away from the ceiling light, my eyes and hands glued to the freebie notebook Mom got from a cosmetics supplier.
I was writing stories all day.
It was around 2009. We got no smartphones. The only thing catching my attention was my plot and characters, and the best distraction would probably be Mom nagging me for forgetting the chores.
I’d stop writing once her grumpy voice echoed, calling my name.
Nonetheless, writing down my imagination and self-reflection was my playground inside our home.
No one told me to do it. There were no grades, no audience, no deadlines. My stories were never published, yet this is my kind of fun.
People are wired differently.
Now, not everyone is fond of writing. People are wired differently. Varied motivations make us unique.
Others find happiness by being with people. They love human connection, which prompts them to learn skills that connect them to others.
They cook to share. They’re good conversationalists who want to make you comfortable.
They’re the glue of the party, and find happiness in keeping people together.
On the other hand, some find passion in analytical and structured creativity.
They’re the ones who would dig up their backyard and build a Koi pond, because the tutorial they watched made it so dang clear and easy.
This gives them excitement and satisfaction, too.
But although we’re wired differently, I’m sure of one thing:
Everyone has a playground.
A space for childlike fun. A place where they express their gifts and talents, formed by differing motivations.
However, society, advancement, and technology made its move. The worst thing society has done to individuals is to sweep our innate gifts under the rug.
It tricked us into believing that you’re losing in life if you’re not in a big company or have no title attached to your name.
Thus, we buried our playground deep under societal expectations.
We had to let go of the “childish” hobbies because the language drilled on us in adulthood was “money.”
Our families, friends, and even the schools we attended sang the same tune.
Be a doctor. An engineer. A businesswoman.
Pursue practical dreams that make a good profit. It’s always about the money.
And so, I walked into different playgrounds for many years.
I did what I was told.
I entered the customer service playground. It was an international company.
The pay was good.
There, I quelled angry customers despite being a sensitive introvert myself. And yep… *sigh*
I got traumatized. I quit the job.
Next, I ventured into sales, promoting products I didn’t even believe in. It wounded my virtue for honesty real bad. So… onto the next!
I also landed in the automotive ground. It was kinda cool.
I played tough and managed to be one of the boys, only to realize I was more in love with the idea of being cool than the actual craft.
Despite my degree, I have never watched cars in my free time. I don’t feel the same excitement my car guy friends feel about the automotive culture.
I was there for the wrong reasons.
It took me a long time to realize these places were not my “playground.” Not at all if all I could think of was to leave.
I was simply visiting, checking if I could fit.
Only to realize, that the playground I want all along was still the first one I had to leave behind — writing and self-reflection.
It’s the art I can do where time passes by quick, and I had to be dragged out of my room just to make me stop.
If I may ask you, what’s does your playground look like?
What happens if people operate in their playground to impact the world?
Imagine a world where natural singers didn’t just sing in the shower or hum quietly. But they actually took the stage, recorded music, or coached!
What if the self-reflective souls — the ones always journaling, asking deep questions, and understanding people’s hearts—were encouraged to become writers, counselors, or personality mentors instead of being in… *cough, cough* customer service for example.
How many people could they effectively transform?
What if we inspire kinesthetically intelligent people to work in sports, in detailing jobs, as physical therapists or dancers instead of desk jobs?
If they did, I think people wouldn’t have to drag themselves to work daily, secretly counting the hours.
But even if they did have a bad day, they’ll be drawn back, because hello, it’s their playground.
That arena is exclusively theirs.
In that place, excellence becomes their norm.
Remember, your core gift is a state of “play” for you, but it’s hard work for others.
That’s why it’s important to nurture that and be the strong link to what other people lack.
Your gift is already showing you the way.
You have to stop ignoring it.
Give your natural gifts the space to breathe. Be in your home court. Take advantage.
Maybe, the ease in doing your hobbies wasn’t a fluke, but a compass.
Imagine the impact, the joy, the freedom you’d unlock… if you simply said yes to the YOU that’s been there all along.
It’s not too late to finally align yourself with who you truly are.
Find your way back to your playground. 🙂
Thanks for reading! 🙂
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