Blog

I attribute my newfound love for Improv to my Toastmasters Group!

Improv to me is the most practical approach to leaping outside your box and far into the unknown!!

Our world is so limited to what is projected to us by media, newspapers general social norms, and most of all peers. Each one of us is following what we call the rat race mostly coz outside of it is the territory of the unknown. The place where – there are ‘ghosts and goblins’ – as they call it in fairytales. Not so much coz no one wants to be there but more coz the social norms don’t allow us to be there. Feels like we are given a template of human existence and protocols are set on everything that falls under its radar. We have categories for it – social status, fame, personality, wealth, wisdom, etc. There are norms and standards set on what is beautiful and what is not, what is the right thing to do what is not, what should make you tick, and what should make you jump with joy. Almost anything and everything seems quantifiable in numbers. Private school – Masters from Grade A – Business from Harvard (or the likes) – high-paying job – position of authority – handsome family – high-end car(s) – high-flying social circle – surplus miles for family outings – and such. We get so busy achieving one milestone after the next that we fail to stop and think beyond.

Ever thought… EVERYTHING COULD BE MAN-MADE.. Our core belief system could be based on some ‘universal model’. Not to question why this happened what started it and what the roadmap this was supposed to follow. It surely had a sane purpose and might have helped bring some goodness to the world.

What I got into thinking was… what is outside of it? Outside these walls… the structure we follow. the maze we keep walking into trying to ‘figure things out’. Hanging out in the same circles, flocking together with like minds, staying away from what we don’t understand..or maybe don’t want to understand? ‘black sheep’ those falling out of the herd….

I was jerked out of ‘template’ in one of my Toastmasters club meetings and made to peep out of my box and a little into the good side of my imagination which perhaps is stunted like most of us social ants following the so-called ‘routine’ – reading newspapers every day – sulking on the bad state of affairs, watching movie-reviews on tomato-meter, making a list of movies to watch, ‘liking’ comments on Facebook and making sure we ‘exist’ in our sweet way – told to us by no-one knows who… we never even bothered to ask! Of Course, this is the routine of an average soul and yours could be different. I looked up ‘average’ in the dictionary..though this article gives you the levy of making up your meaning..and the dictionary even!!!

So how did Toastmasters do this?? This is how…

We usually follow the order – Toastmaster addresses – speeches – speech evaluation – table topics(it is an impromptu question-answer session where you discuss any given topic) – table topic speaker trophy – general evaluation – meeting adjourned.

To break the routine the toastmaster decided to take it in reverse order. Everyone was baffled. How is that possible??!! What will be evaluated? Who can get the best speaker trophy without speaking? He said.. why NOT….??!! Just follow one rule – it should be EXACTLY REVERSE!!!!

Initially, it did feel weird when Mr. Toastmasters started with adjourning the meeting first and then it was a strange good feeling to see the meeting proceed after it was adjourned. A positive vibe and anticipation were coming along on the evaluations made on the happenings that were yet to..umm…happen!! It seemed more welcoming than usual, and the evaluation set a bar on it such that it did not matter how it went. The anticipation was fulfilling enough.

The best speaker was chosen (just like that – we chose a person who had been attending meetings throughout but was too shy to stand up and speak)and when he got up to speak, there was this new energy in him – he was already the best speaker and there was nothing to change that. Imaginations started flowing in to answer questions that were not asked yet and it was fun to frame questions out of the answers flying around(on nothing specific really). We all were forced to make sense out of something that did not make sense. But ‘sense’ really is man-made right? When we broke free from the rules, it seemed fun.. and invigorating. How many times do you get to answer something first and have a question framed based on it?? How many times do you get a splendid evaluation on something you have yet to do? Come on!!

Made me think, what if this were to happen in real life? You could decide your finish and then start from there. How would you evaluate yourself to start with? How many definitions would you change? What would your maze look like? How much of it would you want to unlearn after you have already experienced it first…..how would it be to set your milestones backward? What would matter then? Would life be a whole new ball game with no fear of the unknown? Will comfort feel different….will social status matter… will beauty look different?

I put these thoughts forth to see if they make you rise above your box..look around… feel the euphoric feeling. that I had…. and then settle back in again….

If it did. I am glad!!