Yes and.

When I lived in LA, an improv class taught me that approaching everything with “yes and” is the core principle to effective performances. “Yes and” means that you accept what’s happened and you build on it. By doing this, the storyline continues to flow and quite frankly - can be so damn fun and hilarious. In improv, you don’t have time to think - you just go with it. 

When life presents us with the unexpected, including disappointments and let downs, our instinctual reaction is to resist it. We get in our heads and think about the ‘if only’s’ and ‘what if’s’, and so we miss out on really meeting and engaging fully with what life is presenting to us. 

I think this is what gets us stuck. And maybe practicing a little more “yes and” to even the not-so-good stuff is where we find freedom, joy, and maybe even a little laughter.