THIS! George Bernard Shaw said "We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing". I whole heartedly agree. I also think adults lose that laughter and joy for life that comes with being a kid.
When last did you do a cartwheel? I know you are thinking "wait what?" But think about it, when was the last time you felt free and energized and playful and bursting with joy for life?
Remember when you were little how the excitement inside you would just bubble over? (I'm really crossing my fingers here that everyone had that experience growing up)
You may be thinking "adults don't go around doing cartwheels" and you would be 100% right. But that is the exact problem. See the cartwheel is the metaphor for play and as the Barbie movie has pointed out, we don't do that, past a certain age. We think, "I am grown up now, those things are for kids". It doesn't really matter who or what imposed that on us the fact is that it is there and we are choosing to believe it.
Can you remember when you were a child the absolute excitement and wonder you experienced? How you would climb trees, run with your friends, pretend you were Nancy Drew (that cannot be only me) and laugh oh my word laugh so so much. Statistically the average adult laughs about 17 times a day as opposed to over 300 times for a child. Now sure, children don't have the same stress and responsibility as adults. But that shouldn't stop you from making an active choice to seek more joy and be more excited about even the smallest things. If you are struggling, I suggest faking it till you make it. Just watching a TV show or listening to a comedian can have a profound effect on your daily laughter scale. I do acknowledge that sometimes we go through periods or events have happened that have completely sucked the joy out of our lives. I know, I've been there myself. But it is especially during those times that it is important to look for the joy even if you don't feel anything, eventually something will stick.
So as you go through your day today why not see if you can incorporate a little childlike play and wonder. I know this will be frowned upon, but maybe trying an actual cartwheel can help. I, myself do them regularly (to my husbands complete horror and embarrassment) But sometimes turning your world upside down helps you to see an entirely new perspective.
Play, be excited, have fun. Life is too short to be taken seriously anyways, no one gets out of here alive.