by StefanEmunds

Playtivism – An Antidote to Depression

Andrew Solomon tells us that the opposite of depression is vitality, not happiness.

According to Yana Buhrer Tavanier, we can overcome depression by playing.

How are vitality and playfulness connected?

This is Yana’s TED talk:

Yana was a burnt-out activist who bounces back by incorporating playing and creativity into her work. If that works for activists, it should work for us too, shouldn’t it?

Yana reminded me of Friedrich von Schiller, a classical German writer and philosopher. Friedrich claimed that the play drive is the strongest human drive.

On a side note, Freud claimed that the sex drive is the strongest human drive. Nietzsche believed that it is the power drive. What do you think?

Friedrich has a point. We are immortal souls and planetary life is like an RPG game.

The world is a play (lila) of Brahman. – Vedanta Sutra

Children get sad, but not depressed. Children play all the time. What do adults do? They work. What is the difference? Adults take work seriously, children have fun playing. Play turns into work and living the dream turns into enduring the nightmare.

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. – Unknown

The only way to do great work is by loving what you do. – Steve Jobs

Yeah, we adults hate a lot, don’t we?

Now we have three dots to connect: vitality, playfulness, and love.

How to return to love? Marianne Williamson answered that question.

How to return to playing? Watch Yana’s TED talk.

How to revitalize? Kindle Esprit. That’s where practical enlightenment and the Esprit value chain come in:

Do you want to know how to author your life like writers write their stories? Enroll in the free email mini course:

Picture attribution: Sasint @ Pixabay

#Andrew Solomon#Burnt out#Depression#Motivation#Play drive#TED#Yana Buhrer Tavanier