Play is the Portal: Why Your Inner Child Knows More Than You Do

What if the way forward isn't harder work, tighter control, or better strategy?

What if the next breakthrough—the one that actually shifts your reality—is hiding in something as simple (and as radical) as play?

In our latest episode of Making the Impossible Inevitable, I sat down with longtime friend and creative visionary Stefan Beiten, who helped bring the global phenomenon Planet Earth to life. We went deep on everything from addiction and awakening to distributed teams and spiritual mythologies—but one thread kept weaving through it all: the power of play.

“My biggest power,” Stefan shared,

For Stefan, play isn’t about escapism. It’s about access. It’s the portal back to our most essential state—where presence, flow, and creativity emerge effortlessly. It’s where our intellects stop trying to control life, and something wiser takes the wheel.

And it's from that state—not in spite of it—that he was able to help lead one of the most ambitious media projects of our time.

“We didn’t force coherence—we became coherence.”

When Stefan and his small German media company were invited to co-create Planet Earth with the BBC, it was an unheard-of opportunity. And on paper, they were under-resourced and overmatched. But the way they showed up—full of ideas, fully in flow—was what changed everything.

“We walked into a meeting where they were stuck in bureaucracy,” Stefan recalled. “And we just said, We’ll figure it out. That playfulness was the spark. It created trust. It created momentum. And somehow, it all unfolded.”

That same spirit infused the entire multi-year project. Remote teams in 60 countries. Thousands of hours of footage. And somehow, despite the scale, something timeless emerged. Because it wasn’t just well-produced—it was alive.

“Everyone who saw it could remember how they felt in the moment they watched it,” Stefan said.

Why Play is the Ultimate Leadership State

Most of us were trained—explicitly or implicitly—to view play as a luxury. A break from “real work.” But Stefan’s journey (and mine) continues to reveal the opposite: play is the source of real work. It’s where innovation begins. Where connection deepens. Where truth can actually emerge.

And when we forget how to play?

We tighten. We control. We contract from the very source of the thing we’re trying to build.

“That state of play has an ugly twin,” Stefan admitted.

The capacity to observe—to pause, breathe, and feel—allows us to return to ourselves. And from that state, we can lead. We can build. We can love.

And more importantly… we can play.

If you’ve ever felt like you lost that spark—or you’re ready to lead from something deeper—this episode is a must-watch.

🎥 Watch the full conversation with Stefan Beiten now

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