Come and Play for a Change: The Power of Lightness in Deep Work
Sometimes the most serious issues in our lives don’t need more heaviness — they need curiosity, lightness, and a willingness to play. That’s what this FMQ was all about. An invitation. A gentle nudge. A seed planted.
One of the most destructive beliefs many people quietly carry is the thought:
“I’ve got no one.”
It’s a painful idea, and when it attaches itself to your identity — I have no one — it becomes a lens that colours everything. But here’s the thing: it’s still only a belief. And every belief, even identity-level ones, can be changed when we understand what sits beneath them.
It Always Seems Like “It’s Only Me”
If you’ve ever felt alone in your struggles, you’re not the only one — even though it feels like it. We all say “I’m fine” while quietly wrestling with thoughts we think only we could possibly have. But the truth is: almost everyone has faced some version of this. You are far less alone than the belief suggests.
Compassion, Not Empathy
When I work with people, I don’t need to feel what they feel. That’s empathy.
What works better is compassion — the desire to understand how you’re doing what you’re doing, and how to help you let go of it.
Beliefs and behaviours are patterns. And patterns can be rewritten.
Every Issue Is a Behaviour
This is the golden thread. Everything we do — even the painful stuff — is a behaviour. Behaviours are learned, adapted, and shaped. Which means they can be changed.
Whether it’s fear, isolation, perfectionism, anxiety, or “I’ve got no one”… it’s a behaviour your unconscious mind is running for a reason. It once served a purpose. But now it’s outdated.
A Seed for the Deeper Work
https://personaldevelopmentunplugged.com/fmq-521-come-and-play-for-a-change/
This FMQ isn’t the end of the conversation. It’s the beginning. A seed.
The deeper dive comes in the next longer episode where I’ll help you unravel these beliefs and install better ones — simply, effectively, and with a little fun along the way.
Because transformation doesn’t have to be heavy.
It isn’t magic… but it can be bloody magical.
Paul