Being Foolish

 We are programmed in many ways to believe that we must avoid looking foolish at all costs. But the willingness to be “foolish” is actually a blessing. Foolishness is aligned with the spirit of play. It is the spirit of play that enables us to leap into the unknown and embrace the world of creative possibility. Play contains no judgment, no verdict of right or wrong. It is not afraid of making a mistake. It takes its curious nose and pokes into every nook and cranny, even the forbidden. Play grabs the familiar and rearranges it until it sparkles with surprise. It weaves together the threads of seemingly diverse worlds to create startling new textures and hues. The spirit of play does not know the meaning of failure. When things don’t work out, it simply explores other solutions. This challenge sparks curiosity. Play is the beginning of the enticing trail of creative discovery that we place our inquisitive feet upon and follow with wonder and amazement.

If we look to the realm of archetypes, it is the fool who fully embodies the gift of play. A willingness to be foolish opens the world of possibilities. Saying yes to being silly cuts through all inauthentic “bull-oney” immediately. It is pretty hard to hold on to protecting our self-image when everyone is being wonderfully goofy. Let’s face it, fun is contagious and so is authenticity. Foolishness helps us to get there. It gives us permission not to have to be so perfect. It lets us lighten up and not take ourselves so seriously. But in actuality, when we are playing full out with total honesty, nothing could be more serious. Being foolish has a unique power. In the days of the King, it was the fool who could speak the truth without getting his head chopped off. The fool is well meaning although at times a trickster. He brings balance to the order and logic of the King by providing a break from convention. His light-heartedness pokes fun at the absurdity of life and enlivens us with a zest for adventure. The fool gives us the resilience of being able to fall flat on our face and get up and try again. He lets us leap into the unknown and trust we will land on our feet. We can’t be truly creative and feel radically alive if we are not willing to live at risk. A life dedicated to the safe and predictable is a death sentence. It is when we leap into the unknown with trust that we begin to access divine guidance. This leap of faith gives us information beyond our rational mind. It opens the door to the holy world of miracles and synchronicity, a world beyond logic and the ordinary. The fool is indeed our sacred ally.

Becoming free of other people’s opinions of us

What really matters in all of this is the willingness to let go of our rigid barriers of self-protection. The need to protect ourselves from looking stupid originally developed in reaction to historical incidences where we felt embarrassed and shamed. You made a decision that you would never be shamed again. The part of you that made this decision was trying to serve you. But we pay a heavy price to keep this protection in place. Essentially, we chose to sacrifice our creative and power of our authentic self to avoid the pain of experiencing someone else’s perceived judgment. A female executive recently asked me how much of herself should she be willing to expose to the high powered, political hierarchy she dances in daily. My response is that we wear different hats for different circumstances and all the hats must derive from our authentic self. If our core values and innate expression are not appropriate in our work place, we are in the wrong place. We can’t split our self between one personality and set of values for work and another for our personal life. When we chose a life of passion and purpose, the core of who we are permeates our whole life. The gift of being authentic feeds you and the people around you.

The following questions will help stimulate and reveal your willingness to be playful, creative, spontaneous and authentic in your life.

Play Quotient Self Assessment

Is there a current area of my life where I am being too serious?

What can I do to bring some light-heartedness to that area?

Do I stop myself from expressing or having fun because I am afraid what others will think? What are the circumstances where I do this? What am I afraid will happen?

What can I do to bring more play to my work life?

What can I do to bring more play to my significant relationship?

Do I play with my kids? How can I more actively play and learn from them?

Is there some creative activity I would like to pursue but hold myself back from? What am I afraid of?

Do I tell myself I am not a creative person? If so, where did I get that message? Is it really true?

If I didn’t have to worry about succeeding or what other’s think, what would I love to do that I am not doing?

What are some simple things I can start doing now that would bring more play and spontaneous expression into my life?

Ann Holdreith is a professional artist and innovation consultant. She leads Fire Seed workshops to ignite the power of the Authentic Self and offers private healing and coaching sessions. Her new book, The Authentic Now, Claiming the Sacred Passion of our Lives is available at www.annholdreith.com. She can be reached at (248) 583-7765 or aholdreith@sbcglobal.net