Let it rip! Three obstacles to the spontaneity you crave

No matter how eloquent the words, we cannot transmit the joy, excitement, or change in perspective when we experience pure spontaneity. It awakens the creativity in us we didn’t think we had. It demonstrates fearlessness. There is no need for applause as self-satisfaction is far greater than the world’s admiration. What stops us from letting it rip – to feel the freedom of spontaneity?

1.    Fear of looking foolish

Some of you are thinking, “Easy for you to say. I’m not going to risk looking like a fool. My team, family, friends, teachers have shut me down too many times. Not worth the risk. Someday though…”

How about someday being now? Heck, we’re in the middle, end, who knows, of a pandemic that has jolted our need for everything to go as planned – a delusion even before March 2019. Now’s the time to let it rip!
We all know what it feels like when we’ve had that missed opportunity to self-express. “I should have said…” or “I wish I had asked…” “Maria’s idea is good, and I could have added on to it.” I don’t know about you, but when I have the opportunity to express myself, and I don’t take, it’s me judging me – a worse consequence than fearing whatever you may be thinking.

2.    Overthinking

Besides the fear of being blocked by someone or a group, we overthink things. This habitual over-analysis grows stronger until there’s no way we’re opening our mouths. We second guess ourselves at every turn. I have a great second-guesser. Life is clipping along, and by the time we are ready to share, the opportunity is gone. No, really!

3.    Perfectionism

Perfectionism has become a most acceptable character defect. Society thinks it’s cute. Some of us wear it like a badge of honor. We hold back our enthusiasm because it may not sound perfectly thought out and then perfectly expressed.  

​Then comes the day we recognize our isolation, lack of creativity, and rut we’re in is more damaging than people being witness to our mistakes. We cleverly and rightly so identify our need to be perfect as an addiction. Hence, those that have found liberation from it call themselves recovered perfectionists.

(In full disclosure, I spent three hours searching for the "right" pics)

The only antidote for rigidity, lack of spontaneity that helped thousands of other people and me, is play – particularly the games and exercises of improvisation. In improv games, mistakes are cheered. There is no time to think before you talk. It’s impossible to be spontaneous and think at the same time. 

There are moments in our life when we must lay down our fears, overthinking, and perfectionism and start trusting our creativity, instincts, and wisdom. 

Where we jump in with a big smile on our face and surprise ourselves with originality. Jumping in may look like speaking up at a meeting and pretending not to care what others think. (Besides, other people’s thoughts are not our business.) Throw that idea out on the table and be ok without knowing why you think it would work. Dance your goofy dance, sing that song, tell the person you love that love them, sit back and feel the freedom gained.

Are you open today to be so perfectly present that you forgo approval (or disapproval) to let your wisdom, ideas, and creativity – rip? Don’t think. Just answer. ​