Marney K. Makridakis
File Size: 36452 KB
Print Length: 296 pages
Publisher: New World Library (October 27, 2014)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00OMAMRQ4
Hop, Skip, Jump: 75 Ways to Playfully Manifest a Meaningful Life is a delightful new book from Marney K. Makridakis. The book invites us to look at the work we do every day in a different light, encouraging readers to have more fun while working. Each chapter has information about how play helps us be more productive and more focused. For example, in chapter four, she points out the importance of appreciating what we have today and not just striving for success in the future. She asks the question, “Why wait until you retire to do something you love?”
Marney believes in a world where work feels like play, and she wrote this book to help others find a way to balance work and play. I’ve always been a firm believer in the benefit of play. I played with my children a lot when they were young and was delighted when I had grandchildren. Then I had another good reason to buy toys and get down on the floor to push little toy trucks around. It is those moments of delightful enjoyment that I think Marnie is asking people to consider putting into their life.
All of the benefits of play Marney points out are valid, but I think the greatest is just the absolute joy that you feel when you’ve let go and let your child come out for a little while.
To explain the title just a little bit, hop is in reference to the fact that when you play that usually involves some sort of an action. Marney says it happens when you take something from inside and create it on the outside. So, when she asks people to hop, what she wants them to do is to change the way they formulate goals. One of her examples was, “I want to lose weight.” She suggests changing that statement to, “I will play to lose weight.” She’s asking people to hop to a different way of thinking.
The concept of skipping involves being open to trying different things, and, in essence, skipping over to something new. Marney says, “Moving your body is a great way to move your dream,” and “Movement begets movement.” She also suggests that when you feel you are in a lull, move your body. There are lots of things you can do like go to a local playground to play with kids. That was one of my favorite things to do when my kids were little. Other suggestions were to go outside and garden, take a walk, or play with your dog.
The final section of the book is the jump phase, and this is the time that we are supposed to move our dream into action and focus on completion. Marney points out here that the jump phase can be a little scary because we’re looking at the completion of the goal that we set and the work to get there seems so huge. She suggests breaking the things you have to do to accomplish the goal into small segments and focusing on one at a time, looking for the ways to start practicing being more playful.
This book is packed with ideas and suggestions for ways to counter the critic that lives within each of us to start thinking in new ways instead of doubting ourselves. It is written in a friendly, fun way and the boxed quotes and sidebars are packed with tidbits of wisdom and humor that help readers incorporate the overall message of the book. Readers of all backgrounds and places in life would enjoy this book.
And now I’m going outside to throw the ball for my dog.