Play God Day

For anyone who saw the movie Bruce Almighty, the concept of Play God Day is pretty simple. What would you do if you were God for a day? It would of course be easy to come up with a plethora of ways in which we might go on a wish-fulfillment journey and do all of those activities and things we wished we’d done or currently wish we could do. If you’ve “got the power” then it’s easy to focus on yourself and all the things you want.

However, Play God Day seeks to get past those self-centered tendencies and calls us to extend out beyond the confines of our own desires and encourage or touch another person’s day. If you were God how would you change the world? If you had the place of the higher being you could set right all the wrongs you see in the world and that is the theme and purpose for this day.

How to Celebrate Play God Day

The purpose of Play God Day is to perform some kind act for another person, or just generally contribute to the well-being of the world as a whole. There are many ways to go about this, if you’re so inclined. Take a look at a few of these ideas to get started:

Help Someone

Reaching out to help or encourage a co-worker or family member is an excellent way to start observing the day. Have you ever told your boss how much you like his style? Or maybe thanking the janitor on your way out would be more plausible.

Instead of rushing past the car stranded on the side of the road you might stop and offer assistance, even if it’s just a phone call to a local gas station or towing service.

Make a Difference in the World

Ask yourself, “If I were god, what would I change about the current state of affairs?” and then see how many of those things you’re already capable of contributing to in your situation at home or at work. You might be surprised at the various ways in which a simple change might bring about the effect you want.

If you have children, discussing what changes they might make to the world if they were god can bring up many worthwhile topics for consideration and is a unique view into their different ways of viewing the world around them.

Consider Changes in the World

However far you take your observation of Play God Day, the consideration of what you might change in this world of ours is interesting at the very least, and maybe even eye-opening. You may not be god, but you certainly have the power to make the world a better place.

Of course, Part of the idea of “playing god” is that you should also exercise wisdom and sophistication in your actions and decision-making. This is very much about finding ways to direct your own actions, so that they have a greater positive impact on others. It’s not about trying to recklessly shake things up, or trying to force other people to behave in the way that you think they should.

Change Your Own Life

Keep in mind that, often, one of the best ways of actually making a positive change in the world is by making a positive change in your own life, so that you can be a more potent, optimistic, and inspirational force in the lives of others as well as being more effective with regards to your own actions. In this way, you can have your cake and eat it too.

In addition to looking for ways to do good deeds and to make a positive impact on the lives of others, why not also use Play God Day as an opportunity for kick-starting or renewing your own self improvement journey – whether that means beginning a new fitness routine, or signing up to study a new language.

Get Involved with Social Issues

It’s fair to say there are many people out there in the world today who feel compelled to get involved in social issues, with the aim in mind of transforming their immediate environments, and touching the lives of those around them to leave society better than it was beforehand – even if only in some relatively minor way.

As the well-known saying goes, “with great power comes great responsibility.” So, along with thinking about the life-affirming things you might do for yourself if you had unlimited power, Play God Day might be the time to think about the positive changes you would like to make in the lives of others, if there were no obstacles or barriers in your way.

History of Play God Day

Humans have always imagined what they might do if they were in the place of god and even those not given to such beliefs will often speak in terms of what they think a god ought to do. Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs were considered gods and would act as such and many other ancient texts reference men seeking to become gods or to take the place of a god.

In recent culture films such as Bruce Almighty explore the idea of what it means to be powerful and what those powers should entail. The discussion of “playing god” has become more prominent even as technology advances and humans delve into new areas of biology and other fields.

One interesting fact is that in ancient times, the idea of “being a god,” or “being a demigod” – in other words, having one divine parent – wasn’t just seen as a free license to have a great time with no holds barred.

In fact, many of the most compelling myths that come to us from those ancient days have a lot to do with the responsibilities that fell on the shoulders of famous demigod figures such as Hercules; who is as well known for his self-sacrificing quests as he is for his tremendous strength.

Play God Day, therefore, can serve as a great way of encouraging you to engage with life more courageously and passionately for your own sake, while also simultaneously encouraging you to think of the higher principles and purposes that you wish to align yourself with.

Some sources reveal that this event was founded in 1993, during the same year that Anne Herbert published her book, Random Acts of Kindness and Senseless Acts of Beauty.