I'm not one of those people who gets sad about getting another year older. After all, as my dad always says, "It beats the hell out of the alternative." Duh.
But sometimes I do have a tendency to think, holy crap, I'm [insert favorite two-digit numeral here] years old! What have I accomplished?!
I don't have that thought nearly as much since I started doing improv. First of all, improv has taught me the importance of being in the moment, which means I can't freak out about what I haven't accomplished in the past or what I might accomplish in the future. And secondly, improv has taught me to just go for stuff and not be afraid of trying things - so there's far less reason to lament my age and the things I haven't done yet.
The thing is, if you're lucky, you're going to get another year older every year. And unless you decide RIGHT NOW that you're going to do the stuff you've always wanted to do but were afraid to try, you're going to have another year of regret to pile on top of the ____ number of years of regret you've accumulated.
I'm not saying the thing you need to try is improv. Well, okay, I am saying that. But it's only because by trying improv, you will find the courage to try whatever else it is you need to try. Courage comes down to trusting that you can overcome your fear of something and do it.
As it turns out, improv is 100% about trust. So there's that.
In another year, you'll be another year older. By then, you could have a year of improv experience under your belt - and who knows what else! Brand new Level 1 improv classes are starting in a couple weeks. Sign up today and have a happy Sonnjea's Birthday!
By Sonnjea Blackwell
