Are You Playing or Are You Dead? Altucher Confidential.
Kids only go “home” when adults tell them to.
“JAMES, GET HOME! IT’S FUCKING DARK!”
Or if they have to go to school. Or a family event. And later on a job. Or a government event (a holiday like “Father’s Day” or voting or something really serious). Or a rehab facility.
Gradually kids become adults. They become walking standardized tests with all the circles filled in.
It starts with that ancient mystery: why can you only use #2 pencils? It’s called #2 for a reason.
We learn to be pessimistic and cynical. We learn to hide our feelings. We learn to get scared for more than a moment.
We crowd out the toys and songs and games we were originally blessed to know. We forget about play. That wonderful bubbling feeling that pours danger and excitement on everything we can see.
Of course, there are exceptions. Rock stars. Sergey Brin, Scarlett Johanssen, etc. They get to still play when they want.
But you can be an exception also.
You don’t need money to create the world you live in. You play FIRST.
Sergey Brin started off poor as shit. He was a janitor in Stanford’s math department until he solved an ancient formula on the chalkboard.
Scarlett Johanssen lived in and sang in the orphanage until that rich bald guy adopted her.
But they played. And they kept playing. And the play made them special.
That’s how you unravel mystery, invention, WOW!, and all the things that create passion, enough money to provide, and whatever else your needs are.
You choose the world you live in. It’s an item on a menu. Right now you choose.
If you aren’t choosing, you’re excusing.
So ask yourself: “Are you playing or are you dead?”
Oh…, James’ post also mentions “keeping score”. That’s a hot button with me, but I’ll write about that another time.
