And Its Infectious Nature.
At the core of improv is one basic principle: yes and. Yes and means that when on stage, you agree with the statements your scene partner says and then you heighten them. That’s it. “Yes, I agree” with what you’re saying “And, I’m going to add to it.” Of course there are other rules and techniques to implore upon your improv craft, however, this is the underlying principle.
Now, take a moment and think about what would happen if you took this simple idea that we play with on stage and consciously applied it to your life. That’s what happened for myself and many other improvisers I’ve met. So many doors open when you leave the window up and let the breeze flow through. Granted, there is always the risk of over committing oneself and in that case, you’re an adult, use your discretion and play your “no” card once in a while. But just think about it for a minute. How much more you can do when you say “yes?” If you don’t have a reason not to do something, then why not do it?
One of my friends in my first improv class instilled this idea in my head early on. He had just moved to Chicago not even two months prior and was looking to meet people and explore the city. He said to me, “I’ve decided that if any improviser asks me to do something, anything at all, I’m just going to say yes. I have nothing else going on, so why not? And…I don’t know anyone else here.” I remember thinking, “Wow, that’s great…and he’s right.” He was right. Shortly after this conversation, I started applying that principle to my life as well and the doors that have opened for me are doors so heavy that I don’t know if I could have pried them free on my own. They were opened by the grace and the power of yes and.
Before you say “no” the next time an acquaintance invites you to a potentially awkward gathering of new people or on a random, spontaneous adventure, if you have nothing else going on, say “yes” and just see what happens. Chances are you’ll meet someone new that intrigues you or adds color to your life. I mean hell, you’ll at least get a good story out of it or you’ll learn something you didn’t realize you didn’t know. After all, we don’t know what we don’t know, so why not try to know as much as we can? It also helps put a positive spin on our daily lives and people like to surround themselves with like-minded people. So if you start applying this positive, yes and attitude to your life and these other positive, yes anders start to flock around you, what a whirlwind of excitement you have circling you.
Chalk it up to the power of yes and and embrace life. It’s pretty exhilarating.
