How did you do with last month’s challenge of taking 5 minutes for yourself every day and meditating? I had some high and low points. High: was able to stretch myself into 10 minutes. Yay! Low: I wasn’t consistent and could feel the difference. High: I was in Maui last week and got to sit and meditate on the beach. I’m continuing to mediate and working on being consistent. Life is about the journey, after all.
This month, I want you to think about what we improvisors like to call, “Yes, and….” It’s your basic guideline into improv, and no matter where you learned it, (hello to The Hothouse I miss you). The idea is you are presented with an idea, a situation, and instead of saying, “NO,” you acknowledge it with a yes, and heighten it with an “and” to lead you into the next moment, scene, action.
An example:
Your scene partner: I just found this dead frog and wanted to give it to you.
You: Yes! And I wanted to give you this dead rat, cuz it made me think of you!!!!
It’s gross, right? You’d probably want a new choice. (That’s a different improv game, kids). But you go with it, and leads you into some funniness.
How to apply this to REAL LIFE?
A lot of friends of mine are posting on the internet their daily gratitude, as it’s November and we Americans like to celebrate Thanksgiving in a month of gratefulness. I love seeing these posts, and it’s a nice reminder of another technique to get out of Stress Mode. What are you grateful for? Focusing on the positive can be like a balm on the stressed out, multi-tasking, entrepreneurial soul that I know so many of us actors have. I like to use it as a device to take my brain out of a spiral of impending doom.
It takes practice. So does memorizing your lines. Here’s a few Real Life Examples for you:
“My tire blew out on the freeway! FRAK ME.”
YES, and I was in the slowest traffic possible, so I didn’t spin out into anything else. I am so grateful.
“I didn’t get the callback.”
YES, and I still got to add another audition notch to my belt. I know I’m getting better. Thank goodness.
“I did get the callback but I didn’t get the role.”
YES, and I got in the room, met some amazing people, and just had an amazing time. I’m gonna celebrate and toast my agent.
“Aliens have invaded.”
YES, and they haven’t gotten me yet.
I could go on and on. The cynical types may think this is a little too Pollyanna, but let me tell you, it gets me through the day. I’m not denying my problems, I’m acknowledging them and looking to find where I can be grateful. The trick is to keep going forward, isn’t it? How do we do that when we’re not peacefully meditating, vacationing, or out for a walk? I’m challenging you this month to find gratitude when you’re in a tricky situation. “Yes, And” the heck out of that frakker of a thought/problem/situation.
What are your tricks to stay positive? Let me know, and I’ll be glad to share them. Tweet me: @pattyjrobinson