Last week, we explored the expression 童心未眠 (tóng xīn wèi mián).

We looked at the consequences of living a life devoid of playfulness. You can find that article here.

This week’s article invites you to step into the spirit of play.

Because I am about to reveal to you the secrets of those playful AND paradoxically highly responsible adults.

But first, here is an expression that will help you identify these adults in the wild :

朝气蓬勃 (zhāo qì péng bó )

• 朝气 (zhāo qì) means fresh morning air. It describes a person’s energy as full of life and hope.
• 蓬勃 (péng bó) describes a state of abundance and prosperity.

It’s a poetic way to describe playful adults as having an abundance of joy and full of life.

They are not just “surviving another day”.

Fully. Alive.

When you are around these people, you smile more, feel more relaxed, and more energized.

Because their expansive energy is contagious. In their presence, you naturally feel more connected to a different side of you.

Not the usual pleasant and performative side, but your authentic self.

Or dare I say… your wild side 😉

There are reasons why playful adults are full of life.

Firstly, playfulness is a form of social intelligence.

Someone who brings humor, embodies curiosity, and sees the bright side of things is disarming.

They relax people’s insecurities, because playfulness signals safety.

It signals to others: I am secure within myself, therefore I don’t need to judge you nor compare myself to you.

Playing is an act of connection.

When children are immersed in imaginative play, they are connecting to their authentic selves.

When adults gather to play board games, friendly sport matches, or explore new dance moves, they are co-creating imaginary worlds.

They are breaking out of routines and accessing their creativity.

They are thinking outside of the box and taking risks—all for the sake of fun.

Ultimately, playing is an act of protecting what makes you feel alive.

And playful adults have mastered the art of integrating playing as an essential part of their lives.

How can you invite more play into your life ?

You might be grunting that this is another thing to add to your to-do list.

But playing is not a task to be performed, but a state to tap into.

It is a state of entertaining possibilities without judgement.

It is connecting to your imagination without immediately killing off ideas with logic.

It means asking more “what if’s” and taking exploratory actions.

Some baby steps to consider:

1. When you cook, ask: what are some new spices you can use to flavor the same old recipes?
2. Take a different path when you go to work.
3. Try on a wildly different style of clothing in the fitting room, even if you end up not buying it.
4. Take a trial class for an activity that you have been curious about.
5. Rearrange the furniture in one room of your home to experiment with a different vibe.

These small steps might not make you look and feel 朝气蓬勃 (zhāo qì péng bó) right away, but they strengthen your creative muscle and your openness to experience.

Over time, you will learn to trust the intelligence of your imagination.

Maybe that is exactly where your authentic joy has been hiding.

P.S My video on playing as an underrated intelligence is out! Go check it out on my YouTube channel here.

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Until next time.

Love,

Crystal