The Gift of a Play Fueled Life

On March 14th I turned to Spotify while I worked (less distracting than Netflix).

“The Theory of Everything” soundtrack was what I happened to pick.

Moments later the very sad news of Stephen Hawking’s death was in my newsfeed.

It felt like my music choice had been a message from the universe, however pretty sure he’d disagree.

Have you too been thinking about the immeasurable impact of the life and work of Stephen Hawking, beyond the obvious genius science contributions?

As Lindsay McGregor and Neel Doshi present in their research, in Primed to Perform, the top motivator of peak performance is play.

When we are in flow, loving what we are doing, it doesn’t even feel like work.

When Hawking says, “Work gives you meaning and purpose, and life is empty without it”

... that belief is following the play, your why (as Simon Sinek says), your purpose.

That undeniable Playful Mindset was evident in many other quotes and qualities he demonstrated…

1. Resilience/Grit: "However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. Where there's life, there's hope."

2. Curiosity: “Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious.”

3. Experiment/Risk: “Any physical theory is always provisional, in the sense that it is only a hypothesis: you can never prove it. No matter how many times the results of experiments agree with some theory, you can never be sure that the next time the result will not contradict the theory.”

4. Fun/Pleasure/Joy: "I was not a good student. I did not spend much time at college; I was too busy enjoying myself."

5. Growth: "Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge."

6. Adaptability: “Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change”

7. Levity: “Life would be tragic if it weren't funny”

8. Wonder/Awe: "I am just a child who has never grown up. I still keep asking these 'how' and 'why' questions. Occasionally, I find an answer."

These 8 traits we can all use more of - in any industry.

Which of these traits would you like to embrace more fully?

Stephen Hawking gave the world many lasting gifts.

His example of the power of a playful mindset is just as important and inspiring.