Holding Off

-

Improv is about being fully present to the moment. Sometimes the best way to live in the moment is to make plans for the future. 

I have often found myself reluctant to make long-term plans. Some of my rational is that I am an ENFP on my Myer's Briggs Personality profile. That means I keep looking at options, sometimes waiting until an opportunity passes. Not making a decision, is making a decision. It also means I concentrate on the "what ifs." What if I make a non-refundable deposit and my situation changes? What if I change my mind or my living situation changes or a myriad other catastrophic options? So in order to be safe, I back down, I don't take the risk, I don't plan. Plans can't fall through if I don't make them, right?

What I'm really doing is guarding myself and refusing to live now. I'm letting fear control how I live. Even though my plans are for something a year away, the effect is very real in the present moment. Rather, than saying "Yes, and," I'm saying wait, be cautious, hold off. 

Improv is about not holding off. Throw yourself fully into the now, and that may mean making plans for the future. Truly an improv mindset can deal with whatever happens. Better to go with the flow and adapt to changed plans than to sit and do nothing. Living in the now means taking risks. Don't hold off. Risk by saying "yes" to the future now!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Controlled Burn: A Review

-
Image
  Jeremy Fiebig invites us to set fire to our lives to clear the thick underbrush that bogs us down, thus enabling us to welcome new growth. It is in this clearing, this “thin” place where magic happens. Fiebig defines magic as “the moments of ineffable, ethereal, and often indescribable transformation that happen in all kinds of bodies as a result of Controlled burning, Bonfire Experiences, and The Work.” I was drawn to this book due to my own personal work I’ve been undertaking the past four years since retirement and the pandemic. Personally, I connected with Fiebig because we share experiences in the theater and in coaching. Controlled Burn is part autobiography, self-help workbook, and inspirational guide. By sharing some of his own trauma and history, Fiebig draws us in to understand the root of his transformational work. He speaks authentically from experience. He points out that his journey is not ours, but he writes, “something in my journey might kindle a flame for yo...
Read more

Improvising in the Dark: How to "Yes, And" When it All Falls Apart

-
Image
  No matter what happens on stage, improvisers are called to keep the scene going.   If there is a flub, we can’t deny what happened. That means we can’t ignore it or explain it away. The flub now becomes part of our reality. The rule is, “deal with it and move on.” It’s the basis of “Yes, and.” Life off the stage is equally fraught with flubs, failures, disappointments, and disasters. It’s part of being human. We all experience failure. We all suffer pain and grief. Whether it’s pain of our own causing or from something out of our control, there is no escaping it. Nietzsche said, “to live is to suffer.” He also said, “to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.” The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism proclaim that life always involves suffering. Suffering comes from our desires, but one can put an end to suffering through practiced living. (This is a very inadequate summary of Buddhist thought, but it gives a rough idea.) Christian Scripture proclaims that, “perfect l...
Read more

Faith over Certainty

-
Image
 There are those who suggest that faith and spirituality provide answers. I myself used to subscribe to the John Maxwell school of ideology; life can be broken down into manageable steps. One can master the Four Leadership Steps, the Seven Ways to tap into your potential, or the Twenty-One Laws of Leadership. Just follow the rules (usually based on Scripture) and you will have control over your life. Ha! Life is always throwing us curve balls. No matter how much we like to think we are in control, life is unpredictable. That doesn't mean we go through life completely unprepared. There are certain skills and traits one can develop that actually help us live in community. Rather than rules we must adhere to, I see these as truths that enlighten us. The Ten Commandments, for example. Are they laws that demand punishment should we break them? Or are they karmic truths that say if you cheat your neighbor and treat people like property you will end up paying a price? A Rule of Life could...
Read more