“We cannot treat other people as if they’re final drafts while expecting people to look at us as if we’re rough drafts. Everybody’s a rough draft. We’re all writing ourselves in real time…All of our erasers are chewed up, we’re trying to figure it out, make ourselves and discover ourselves in real time. And that is an impossible thing to do. But that’s the thing that makes us human. -Lee Edward Colston, playwright (The First Deep Breath), writer, actor, artist
“Be tolerant with others and strict with yourself.” -Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
“A great man is hard on himself; a small man is hard on others.” -Confucius
Then she found a small clearing surrounded by firs,
And she stopped…and she heard what the trees said to her,
And she sat there for hours not wanting to leave,
For the forest said nothing, it just let her breathe. -excerpt from the poem “Breathe” by Becky Hensley
“Nana korobi, ya oki” which translates to “Fall down seven times, stand up eight.” -Japanese proverb
In our interactions with people, can we assume positive intent? Can we think of them as rough drafts and not final drafts? Can we put ourselves in their shoes? Can we have more empathy and sonder and understanding?
And if something they say or do causes us anger or hurt, can we take one, giant, deep breath before responding?
Let’s give it a shot.
And if we or they come up short, let’s give ourselves and them a break.
Take another deep breath.
And try again.
P.S. – Awesome Vs. Theatre Club outing last night! Go see THE FIRST DEEP BREATH at the Geffen Playhouse before it closes. Support live theatre.
The Vs. Studio Blog 