When was the last time you did something silly, acted goofy, pretended to be someone you are not??
If it's been a while, you might want to consider trying it out.
Most of us live rather stagnant lives
What I mean by this is after childhood and adolescence, many of us assume a role, a position, a career... and we use those definitions to create a persona of who we are.
If we are a lawyer we should act as lawyers act.
If we are a doctor we need to live our lives as a doctor would.
This list could go on and on ...
What I'm trying to express is that often, whether we know it or not, we begin to assume the characteristics of the identity that we have chosen..
Why do we do this??
It sounds kinda lame, right?
Well it is... but it also makes sense.
Our brains are complex processing machines. We are constantly overwhelmed by sensory stimuli so much that we are consciously processing less than 10% of what we are actually perceiving.
With this being the case the brain is always looking for ways to optimize it's processing and make room for other things.
Soooo, when we tell our brain that a _____ acts in a certain set of ways, it's going to take that and run with it!
Keep It Simple Stupid
We can simplify our decision making by creating a series of rules for how to act in different scenarios.
This is wonderful in many ways; however, it leads to solidified behavioral patterns which can cause duress and suffering when we are exposed to complex and changing external environments.
If we believe we need to act in a certain way but life forces us to behave differently, this can be challenging to the psyche and can lead to emotional duress and in extreme cases ... losing your mind!
That's why it's good to make sure our psyche, our personality, and our behavioral patterns remain fluid and flexible.
How do we do this??
Great question!
It's simple... we play!!
When we were children we were constantly imagining various scenarios.
One day we were firemen, the next we were the doctor working feverishly on a patient and the next day we were having a tea party with friends.
All of these different scenarios are personas that we adopt for various periods of time. In doing we so broke up the monotony of our "self" and created micro experiences where we could be “someone else" for a period of time.
Putting It Into Practice
So… how do I incorporate this in my life without my neighbors and coworkers thinking I've lost my mind??
It can be done rather easily... and tactfully. It all starts with being playful and imaginative.
Remember how you felt when you were playing that video game and you were totally consumed with the character you were playing?
That is an example of when you are assuming a various identity.
Video games, and other games for that matter, are wonderful examples of ways we can craft and inhabit various personas for periods of time (just remember that the real world exists and it can be rather nice).
If you're not into video games, you can always craft your own realities using your imagination.
Just Play Pretend
Take a moment out of your day and pretend to be someone you are not. It may seem silly at first (that's the point) but it can actually be quite fun.
You don't have to relive your days as the class clown... simply doing this a few times a week can be tremendously beneficial to your emotional and mental well being.
So much so that people have actually created an intentional practice of it... it's called clowning!
Be like this kid
If you like this, and want to learn more, take a quick peek on google and see if there is a clowning group near you. If not you can always create your own. All it takes is a bit of intention and your imagination!
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