71 | Are You Playing or Performing?

The Gentle Rebel Podcast

Do you get worn down by the pressure and need to perform for others (and/or yourself)?

What tells you you’re performing?

In this episode of The Gentle Rebel Podcast, we differentiate between the characteristics of performance and play. We examine the consequences of mixing them up and assess how they affect who and how we are in our achievement society.

We use performance energy to:

• Work towards specific goals and outcomes
• Give ourselves to others
• Communicate with clarity
• Meet needs
• Keep up appearances
• Carry out a duty or role

Performance is defined within parameters. As such, it takes energy to remain in that state and can take a toll if we become stuck there.

When Play Becomes Performance

Have you come across the “rawdogging” trend? This is when people fly (on planes) without entertainment, snacking, moving, or sleeping.

At its core, elements of this idea could be somewhat positive, potentially helping us notice how and when we mindlessly reach for certain objects to fill life’s in-between moments. It could show us what we do in the face of boredom, and invite us to choose creative ways to respond instead of consuming. I can imagine doing it as a personal experiment or challenge for that reason.

However, as far as I can tell, this is not the direction it takes. As is often the case with experiments that become trends, it’s taken a performative turn with contrasting justifications. For some, it’s about proving your toughness; for others, it’s painted as a mindfulness practice; and for others it’s simply a way to get attention. For many, it has evolved into a competition, with participants taking it to more extreme (and dangerous) limits.

Why does this happen? What causes play to turn into a performance in so many areas of life? And what can we do to gently rebel against the apparent pressure to compare ourselves with others as we seek to perform higher, faster, stronger, louder, richer, feats?

Join me to explore these questions in the episode.

https://youtu.be/5MVLM2q9mlA

The Return To Serenity Island

The Return to Serenity Island is relaunching soon. It’s an immersive, self-paced course for anyone who doesn’t enjoy setting goals. It offers space to explore your values and desires within a spirit of play (and beyond the pressure to perform). So, if you’d like to make changes in your life, such as work, relationships, health, creativity, finances, etc., but the “high performance” drive lens doesn’t resonate with you, this provides a meaningful alternative approach..

It follows a gentle narrative arc with soundscapes, creative prompts, and exploratory videos to inspire you to think of your life as an island rich in potential and promise. We will be meeting for six online weekly picnic sessions as a group during September and October 2024.

To learn more about the course and picnic dates, and get notified when the doors open, visit the website: serenityisland.me

Over to You

Has anything resonated with you? Where have you been in performance mode this week? Drop me a message through the website, leave a comment below, or connect via social media.