Your Instincts Are Better Than You Know
They've just gotten buried by a pile of 'shoulds' and 'shouldn'ts'
I’ve always wanted to take improv”—says almost no one.
When I tell people—who, by the way, do incredibly brave things in their lives—that I took 12 weeks of improv last year, they hail me as a hero. Really, I was just new in Raleigh, wanted to meet new people, get out of my house and head, and thought it would be good for me. Boy, was it ever.
There are literally dozens, nay hundreds, of life lessons from improv.
Here’s just one: Fabulous instincts to do or say something wonderful, true or honest come fast. And are immediately followed by a super fun mental filter, usually telling us what we ‘should’ or ‘shouldn’t’ do or say.
“It’s not funny” or “It doesn’t make sense” or “You shouldn’t say that.”
Sound a little like how we all show up in life? Yep, thought so.
This can lead to showing up as filtered, watered-down versions of ourselves:
Not asking the meaningful questions we mean to.
Not apologizing in the moment when something happens.
Not laughing when it’s the most honest reaction to s…