Perhaps the greatest difference between a run of the mill fool (ROMF) and a Remarkable Fool stems primarily from Shakespeare. Every Remarkable Fool understands that all the worlds a stage.

Let’s run with this for a while… Let’s assume that all the worlds a stage. With that, each of us is merely players. We make our entrances and exits. We play many parts. Given this? It might be useful to look at some of the principles of stage craft. We should consider exploring the realms drama, actor training and principals of performance. Finally, we have the opportunity to examine the and the many parts and roles that we play in this big budget production of life.

Big budget life.

The technological miracles available to us now? They don’t cost much. Twenty years ago? Not readily available. You needed money. My son regularly makes movies. In my childhood? I had a Kodak Instamatic. The closest thing we had to a go pro was a view-master.

With this? We have more knowledge, more connections, more technology - a bigger budget behind the production that is our lives than every before. We have the opportunity to experiment play, watch ourselves and learn as never before.

And yet?

It’s more and more difficult than every to take hold of the opportunity presented us - the opportunity of choice, of freedom and the responsibility that comes with all of this. Asked to play big? We cower. Told to play small? We revolt. Given infinite creativity? We hide. With heavy restrictions and rules? We create. We thrive.

We’re going to explore how to get the best out of our big budget lives.

The first step?

Let’s spend time doing things poorly

One Derful Thing

Juggling, according to Seth Godin, is more about practising getting the throws dialed in. After that, the catches take care of themselves.

I’ve juggled for thirty years. I used to teach high school students to juggle.

Every time they started, they focused on desperately trying to catch the balls.

When one of the students would invariably drop a ball, the others would laugh and jeer at their friend who ‘failed’.

They would delight in each others failure.

And yet, they wouldn’t allow themselves the most important lesson of juggling.

Learning to juggle means learning to be willing to drop balls sometimes.

In fact? When you’re learning to juggle, you’re dropping things most of the time.

Ditto the unicycle and stilt walking. In order to be able to ride a unicycle, or walk on stilts, you first need to learn how to fall. It’s good to be prepared when you finally go off balance and let nature take its course.

So. Today? Start to learn to juggle.

How?

Well, to begin, you’ll need something to juggle. I suggest not bowlingballs.

Nor knives.

Chainsaws?

Sure, you won’t be catching them anyway.

Or, if you have feet, and you are privileged enough to own socks, make a ball out of a sock.

Then?

Throw it.

Imagine you’re hitting the same point in the air each time you throw it.

Then?

Ball up all of your socks.

It’s Sunday, I’m sure there’s laundry lying around.

Throw all of your socks, one at a time.

First use your left hand.

Then use your right hand.

Throw each ball.

Try to have it arc and hit the same point in the air each time.

Let it fall.

Do that every day for a week.

After that?

We’ll move forward with learning how to juggle.