We Live in a "Yes, And" World...

What You Can Learn From Improv

Three years ago, I decided to enroll in Improv Classes and did it for a full year. Honestly, even to this day, it has been one of the most fun, scariest, and most creatively challenging experiences of my life.

But something that has stayed with me since is this principle of "Yes, and...", which I think applies to most areas of our lives.

When you are doing an improv scene with another actor and you don't know what the other person will say or do, nor what the cirscumtances of the scene will be until after you are in the scene, you have to be able to accept and embrace whatever the other person will offer you and make it your own.

The principle behind "Yes, and" suggests that you never try to control or negate what another actor, or even what the scene, proposes. You are simply there to follow along and trust that whatever comes out will make sense in a way that resonates with the audience.

It's you say "These tomatoes are rotten" and the other actor responds with "Of course, they are from our last trip to Rottenia", you now live in a world where Rottenia exists and you just returned from a trip there.

It's really an exercise of being able to let go of the need to try to control everything or make sense of everything and instead, flow with the moment.

This concept is true for a lot of our lives, too. Much of what happens in our lives are things outside our control, things that don't make sense in the moment, and things we were not expecting or planning for.

We can still always make it a point to respond with "Yes, and..."

We can "Yes", accept whatever is happening in our lives, even when it feels inconvenient, negative, and bad. "And", look to contribute and support to find alternatives to move forward, learn, and grow.

"There are too many bad things happening in the world". Yes, AND people are falling in love every day, people are making their dreams come true, there are people helping others, and each day, people are surviving and even thriving in difficult situations.

"The things I'm doing are not working how I expected them to work out". Yes, AND you can try new strategies and new ways of doing things, you can ask people for help and guidance, and you can change how you are currently doing things.

"I feel lost and stuck in my life". Yes, AND that also means that you are ready to make a change, to do things differently, and to transform your life.

We live in a "Yes, and" world.

How can you start embracing this mindset of letting go of control and trusting that whatever is happening is for the best?

How can you start to believe that there are always more possibilities open to you than the ones you originally think or see possible?

AND... To start believing that whatever the scene of your life gives you, you can use it to your advantage.

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