I took an improv comedy class last year just for the fun of it. Along with the love of fun and lightheartedness, one of the fundamental tenets of improv is the concept of “Yes, and…” That means, you must accept the premise advanced by others on stage and build on that premise. For example, if a cast member starts riff on seeing UFO land, then everyone else on stage adds on to it. Because that enables the team to build something …and ET walked out, and we all flew to another universe, and whatever. It allows something new and unknown to be built together.
That can’t happen f just one person says, “No, I can’t see it.” The skit abruptly ends. Resistance drains the energy and stops all forward progress.
I’m trying to embrace the “Yes, and” philosophy in life too. There is so much power in abandoning resistance to what is. For me, it shifts my energy from negative to positive, which creates enormous space for something new, but unknown. I’m not ready to say “Yes” to everything for a year (thanks Shonda Rhimes) but I’ve experienced this enough to want to try to do it more consistently.
So this weekend I’m off to the mountains for a women’s wellness/hiking/yoga/meditation retreat. I’m traveling with fun people and fun people make the party. But I’m want enjoy what is and make other things possible too. Yes, I’m doing a meditation retreat again and it isn’t sponsored by the Buddhist so the food will probably be good. Yes, I’m sleeping in bunk beds and it’ll be like those awesome slumber parties of old. Yes, I’m going to the mountains without internet, and I’ll find a way to post my blog. (If you are reading this on Saturday morning, it worked)
Finally, this pictures is the ultimate: Yes, dream trip to Machu Picchu and me with lamas!
Boonedoggler 