“Yes And” Rule | Nerd Fitness

A few years ago, I went to my friend Nick’s 40th birthday party.

As part of the celebration, he hired an improv comic, and we all he had to participate in learning improvisational comedy.

(I can only feel the collective horror of all the introverts who read this newsletter).

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

Two simple words and the foundation of all improvisational comedy:

Whenever someone brings up a scene, phrase, or situation, the ONLY acceptable answer is “yes and”

• Yes: approval! I accept and accept that whatever the situation is, no matter how absurd, it is true.
• And: build! Just like a tennis match, after your improv partner hits the ball, your job is to return it! Based on the situation or scene.

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

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

The “yes and” rule is very crucial, because there is nothing worse than a bad improviser!

Similar to Liam Neeson ,this brief sketch, With Ricky Gervais, (I laugh every time):

Yes And Rule For Life

As usual overcoming the “gifted child” with a negative inner critic, I have worked hard to incorporate the “yes and” into my life.

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

Check out my past posts ,acceptance, and ,Wabi Sabi, for more

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

As Dr. Kristen Neff points out in her book ,Self pity,life is complex and so are humans:

“Judgment defines people as good and bad and tries to capture their essential nature with simplistic labels.

Discriminating wisdom recognizes complexity and ambiguity.’

Nothing is ever as simple as it seems. Things are never as good or as bad as our brains think.

So despite the voice in our head that wants to judge everything in black and white, yes or no, good or bad terms… We have to remember that life is a pretty mess.

Author F. Scott Fitzgerald once said:

The primary test of intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.

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

This is my task for you today.

Is there a part of your life that feels black and white, and could use some complexity instead?

Nothing is as simple as it seems.

Life is hard, and change is hard. AND you are a good person who is trying.

That means there is hope. And ,hope is the emotion of the warrior,.

Also, please go watch that ,Liam Neeson begging,.

welcome

-Steve

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