Leaping manYesterday I was stopped at a traffic light on Sonoma Blvd. In some places Sonoma Blvd. is 8 lanes wide and this was one of those places. As I sat waiting for the light to change and singing along to the radio I spotted a young man starting to cross the street.

Normally someone crossing the street is not a sight to create much interest but this guy did it with such style and enthusiasm. Each step was loooong and bounding, almost leaps in slow motion. The red soles of his shoes flashed as each leg stretched out behind him. His arms reached out as far as they could as if he was passing a baton in a relay race and he was wearing an enormous grin.

He crossed all 8 lanes in this fashion and resumed walking in a more conventional manner as soon as he hit the sidewalk. It was a delight to watch.

His display of sheer joy and playful abandon made me laugh and the feeling lasted well beyond the rest of my trip. He didn’t care who was watching or what they might think about him. He was just having fun.

It was a very real example of living playfully in the moment.  Taking an everyday activity, something that has to be done anyway and making it fun. This is what I teach my clients. Play doesn’t have to be a particular or special activity. Living playfully is how you go about the things your already doing, like crossing the street.

What are you doing that could be turned into fun? Is there something you do that you wish was more fun? Share it in the comments and maybe someone will have a creative idea for you to try.