When I was 15, my Aunt Rose scolded me for worrying too much about my uncle’s business. For 3 years, the business had employed me on weekends and summers. “It’s not your business to worry about. Go be a kid”, she said. But I did worry. I worried about my uncle, my parents, and my grandparents. Money seemed to always be scarce (or that was how it appeared) so I took things seriously at a very young age. My uncle’s business would be fine. I worked there summers, nights and weekends through college and beyond. I was probably one of the most serious kids in my neighborhood and it would serve me in later years. When I was 26, I was a founder in a new fashion business. I remember feeling that I needed to dress for success so that the old timers in an industry of old timers would take me seriously.

But lost in all of the stress and success was my connection to my inner child. It was only after I was out of the fashion industry that I began searching for “what I would do when I grew up”. Much of this process was an unwinding. Because I had been wrapped so tightly since childhood, it felt liberating to be free of the pressure and stress. It allowed me to have fun, be playful and get in touch with the inner child that I denied existed the first time around. The prescription that felt right was to be as silly as possible as often as possible. I am working…no, playing with strengthening that skill presently!

Have fun, play and be silly early and often.