“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing!” ― George Bernard Shaw

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I remember the days when I would play every day. My neighborhood was built for it.

There was a basketball hoop in the driveway. There was an empty lot in the corner where we would play baseball. Cars had to drive slowly in the neighborhood because we often had impromptu football and street hockey games in the road. And those were just the outdoor activities.

We also held wrestling matches on beds. We tried to unravel the mysteries of Myst. We had Pinochle almost every week.

There is moment this all changes. For me, it was high school. School burdens us with hours of homework. We have to prepare for the future. We stop playing in the yard. We try to do more adult things. We lose the magic of childhood and the element of play.

It is at this moment that we start to feel old. We go from getting good grades in high school to getting into college. We go from college to a job. Then we find a spouse. We buy a car. We get a house with a white picket fence.

Our obligations pile up. Time flies by. Until one day we look back and wonder where all that time went. Why do I feel so old? When did I stop having fun? Why does everything feel like a chore?

It happened because you’ve zapped all the joy out of life. You stopped playing, and it has made you old. It doesn’t have to be that way. You can fix that feeling of time passing you by. All you have to do is add back that element of play.

The people who find the most joy in life are also the most playful. Don’t be one of those stodgy old people that never has fun. What brought you extreme joy as a child? Rediscover that. Or find something completely new to enjoy. Either way, if you want to stop the feeling of growing old, go out and play.

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