Shorts Are Fun, Start Playing

Stop Fighting & Start Playing

Author

Derya Sefer
November 30, 2023

So…

I started playing around with (very) short-form writing this past week.

I’m sorta old school, so -

by “(very) short-form”, I meant like -

150 words “articles”…

which breaks down to a one minute read.

I got this idea while writing for Medium.

-

Sometimes, I get these glimpses of inspiration,

they come and go.

And ever since I have become more relaxed about writing,

it is becoming easier for me to record these moments of inspirations.

Most inspirations turn themselves into long-forms -

perhaps over 2,000 words long...

However,

once in a blue moon,

some of these inspired moments are short and sweet,

and I really love those.

Like this one:

How An Old Pickle Jar Become A Life Extending Prison

Photo credit: cottonbro studio

One year, I found an old, large pickle jar

And started a glass terrarium…

With live moss and other miniature weeds

That was attached to the moss — straight from the ground

I gave it love by watering it

And setting it next to my window

And opening the lid once in a while

To watch the blueish greens grow.

-

The next Fall, I found an old, colorless ladybug

And I picked her up

And let her climb into my terrarium…

With live moss and other miniature weeds

That is now twice as big.

And the ladybug seemed happy

So I closed the jar.

She looked so colorful in the sea of green

Wandered around and ate all she needed.

And I kept her close to me.

-

I watched her each morning,

And at night I wondered:

Although her life has been extended

If she missed the outside world?

-

In the dead of Winter, the ladybug disappeared.

I searched and searched all over

Under every phylloid, every drop of moisture

To no avail, I sobbed.

-

Yeah, that was a past experience that came to mind.

This memory came to me while I was laying down (decompressing),

And as if under some strange spell,

I sat up and typed it out.

-

Last week, my 6-figure writer friend Maya Sayvanova recommended that I look into joining publications on Medium. And I found a publication called “The Shortform” (TSF).

This sparked my interest in writing 150 words articles.

I have submitted 2 (very) short-forms since

and both of which were accepted.

I am proud of myself for writing and posting so consistently

while exploring different aspects of writing.

-

Here’s one of my submissions to TSF:

Stop fighting and start playing

Life is not a battle, it is a game.

Photo by Sam Pak on Unsplash

Life is a game of giving and receiving.

Not just any other mindless game.

The rule of this game is:

Give first, then receive.

Because giving

  • generates goodwill

  • fosters positive connections

and —

  • strengthens a sense of community and mutual support

And because receiving requires:

  • vulnerability

  • trust

  • connection

  • gratitude

and —

  • emotional awareness

Both giving & receiving requires openness to possibilities.

Both giving & receiving requires connection to the greater world.

When unaware, our minds are confined to countless amounts of cognitive distortions.

Distortions make us shut down by minimizing ourselves —

as if we are about to be attacked, to be killed.

It is a survival mechanism, but not a tool for growth, flow, or moments of joy.

With confine, there is no opening for possibilities,

without possibilities, there is neither meaning or improvement.

SOMETHING TO CONTEMPLATE ON:

How can I shift my perspective from viewing life as a constant battle to approaching it as a playful and engaging game?

What aspects of my life can I reframe as opportunities for playfulness and exploration instead of struggles to overcome?