CHAPTER 4: LOVE, WORK, PLAY…COMBINING THEM ALL TOGETHER
If you’ve followed through this series, we’ve been showcasing the three different aspects that in their simplest form encompass who we are: together and as individuals. Love, Work, and Play represents the three main elements of our lives, a constant interwoven state that fluctuates which element is in the dominant forefront. Love tends to maintain its equal weight, creating the foundation for Work and Play to take their turns. Sometimes, being able to simplify seemingly infinite “aspects” of life into a singular category make them more manageable, we’ll be so bold as to say that they’re even achievable that way! At least, that’s been our experience once we made that realization.
When you get there, it’s an epiphanous moment, not only do the puzzle pieces seem to align but so does the understanding that this is under your control, on an individual level! In writing, we use one voice to reflect our joint views, but if you look at who we are as individuals you’ll find the unique differences alongside the union. That’s what compromises us as a whole, how we combine our strengths and weaknesses, acknowledging both simultaneously. That takes courage, having the voice to be heard, and having the patience to listen. There are times when the only way through is by compromise, but a compromise that doesn’t DETRACT from the self, but rather uplifts it by knowing and believing that the same would be done for you. Do you see the theme here? It’s along the lines of “don't dish it out if you can’t take it”…and trust us we’re both not perfect.
There’s no reason to stress about perfection, balancing each moment creates safety and support for the good and the bad. We try to see the fluidity in boundaries, which is not an easy thing to do in some cases, respecting each other in the process. How can you possibly push another mind and expect it to have the same reaction as yours? Have you ever seen the same exact snowflake twice? We haven’t! Take those pristine examples that nature sets in front of us, apply that understanding to your life, and you’ll start to develop a deeper understanding of how important the union is on an individual level.
There’s an old fable, you know those really heart-warming “there’s a moral at the end of every story” type fable, long story short it’s three individual sticks that all break when they’re alone, but when you tie them in a bundle they all become strong and help each other “survive”. Let’s explore that, for all types of relationships that we have in our lives, recognizing when we have the right “union” we can become “stronger”. Not just “stronger” in a physical sense, gaining strength takes courage and bravery, growing through every experience. We acknowledge the “self” and how important it is to the strength of the “union”, perceiving every experience as an opportunity to learn by bypassing unnecessary judgment (good/bad).
Tying it all together, we emphasize the “self” as an important factor in aligning our lives. Between Work and Play, as comprehensive as each one is, there’s always time for a healthy balance. When a worldwide pandemic comes out of nowhere and you need to get creative or face complete boredom, create moments! Sunset walks through the neighborhood, observing the seasonal changes as we walk in both silence and conversation. Picking up a new set of Domino’s and sitting beside dinner playing a few games, and trust me those games can get seriously intense! Planning out a day trip on an early Saturday, in any direction, wherever the road takes.
Work is work, there’s no way around it, we all need to find some way to sustain our lives and the quality that we envision for them, and so we entertain the perception that even the work we do can be uplifting and motivating! Whoever had the misconception that you need to quite literally BUY everything to make it “fun” maybe forgotten what it was like to observe the world through childlike innocence. We chose to honor the love we created and allow it to lead the direction of our lives, in all aspects: