 “Just be yourself.”
Hmmm. I see a problem here. If I’m always myself, how can I become better? Humans can be selfish, and I can be selfish. I get defensive sometimes. I can wallow in self-pity. I can get hyper-opinionated. Heck, I can worry better than most people! In other words, being myself only works when I’m looking at the “bright side” of my personality. I have another idea: Don’t be yourself. Be the version of the person you want to be. Just do things according to your better version. Imagine your life as a movie, and see yourself doing whatever that version of the person you want to be is doing. Then, go and do likewise. When you want to do something like get defensive, make comparisons, or even wallow in self-pity, look at the version of the person you want to be. How would that person act? This works because you’re getting out of your ego and the ego-centered universe you live in. You’re thinking clearly and realistically about who you want to be. And your life gets better. And everyone else’s life gets better, too. After all, your life affects everyone else’s. Your choices impact everyone around you. You’re not some isolated individual; you’re in a living, breathing biosphere of community, whether you like it or not. There’s enough anger and criticism to darken the world seven times over. Wouldn’t it be great if everyone worked on this? Be the version of the person you want to be. Or not. It’s up to you.  Growing up was strange, at least to some people. When I was a kid, I read books on spirits, alien abductions, mind-control, telepathy, psychokinesis, prophecy, etc. My imagination was a treasure-trove of incredible adventures, fantastic voyages, and amazing possibilities.
Unlike most people, I never really lost sight of those possibilities in life. After all, isn’t life full of mysteries? Isn’t it true that there are some things in life that we simply cannot explain away, no matter how hard we try? I’ve never forgotten mystery and wonder. And my children are reminded of it every day. It’s no wonder that I do what I do for a living. It’s all about the mystery of the mind, the complexity of our lives, and the utter simplicity of it all. I love mystery, because the deeper you get into it, the deeper it gets. (The original meaning of mystery is from the Greek word “mysterion”, which means an infinitely growing reality whose depths can never be exhausted.) I don't "make" mysteries, I just facilitate them. I’m the middle man in a very delicate process, because mysteries are based on what the audience brings to the table -- their knowledge, beliefs, opinions, life experience, etc. And my hope is that they'll have an experience of wonder, intrigue or mystery. Yes, even laughter is a mystery! (ever wonder why some comedians are funnier to you than others? You get the idea.) I've been influenced by some amazing people, from Rod Serling and Alfred Hitchcock to Robin Williams and Jonathan Winters, and many in between. So I’ve learned ways to set the stage for good entertainment. And good mystery. And I'll use every tool or formula I can to make it happen. My audiences often fall on a bell curve. Where people to the far left will always think I'm full of garbage. And those on far right will believe every word I say. I'm interested in the middle group. Those who like to laugh. Those who like to think. Those who may have been afraid of aliens or spirits, or at least interested... I want you to experience a feeling. Like a comedy wants you to laugh, a drama wants you to cry, or a romantic comedy wants you to dive into a vat of chocolate ice cream . I want you to feel mystery. |
AuthorDon Marlette, Archives
August 2024
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