The “yes and” rule | Nerd fitness

A few years ago, I attended my friend Nick's 40th birthday party.

He hired an improv comic as part of the celebration, and we all of them He should have been involved in learning improv comedy.

(I feel the collective shudder of all insiders reading this newsletter).

We started throwing fun situations and scenes to participate in and learned about the most important rule of Improv: “Yes and”.

Two simple words and the basis of all improvised comedy.

When someone brings up a scene, sentence, or situation, the only acceptable response is “yes and.”

• Yes: accepted! I accept and believe that whatever the situation is, no matter how absurd, it is true.
• And: Build! Just like in a tennis match, after your improvement partner hits you with the ball, your job is to hit it back! Building the situation or scene.

For example, if your improv partner says, “I'm a space pirate,” your response might be:

• “Yes, and I'm the space police, you're under arrest!”
• “Yeah, and I'm a first mate looking for a new group, this is perfect!”
• “Yes, and my name is Captain Hook, welcome to Pirates Anonymous.”

The “yes and” rule is critical, because there's nothing worse than a bad improv partner!

Kind of like Liam Neeson .This is a short sketch. With Ricky Gervais (I Laugh Every Time)

Yes, and a guide to life

As an overachieving “gifted child” with a negative inner critic, I've worked hard to incorporate “yes and” into my life.

The “yes” part is built on acceptance, which is something I've spent the last two years working to embrace.

See my previous posts .acceptance. And .Interesting reference. For more.

It's the “and” part that I've been focusing on lately.

As Dr. Kristen Neff points out in her book. .Self-sufficiency.Life is complicated and so are people.

“Judgments define people as good and bad and try to capture their essential nature with simple labels.

Judging art recognizes complexity and ambiguity.

Nothing is as simple as it seems. Things are neither good nor bad as our mind thinks.

So despite the voice in our head that wants to judge everything in black or white, yes-or-no, good or bad terms… we need to remember that life is a beautifully complicated mess.

Author F. Scott Fitzgerald once said:

A test of elementary intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing thoughts in the mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.

For example, one must be able to realize that things are hopeless and yet be determined to do otherwise.

This is my task for you today.

Is there an area of ​​your life that feels black or white and could use a little complexity instead?

Nothing is as easy as it seems.

Life is hard and change is hard. And you're a good person for trying.

It means there is hope. And .Hope is a warrior's emotion...

Also, please see that .Liam Neeson skit..

doesn't matter.

– Steve

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