15 Jul What we can learn from actors about how to live our best lives
Living our best lives isn’t easy.
Happiness and success can be elusive and require hard work; but they’re most definitely possible.
And there’s much we can learn about happiness from a range of people and professionals; although psychologists are often expert in happiness there are skills and strategies we can also learn from others including, actors…
via TED Ideas by Daniella Balarezo
From job interviews to eulogies and pitch meetings, our lives are full of interpersonal interactions where we need to be our very best. Amy and Michael Port, actors and speaking coaches, share three basic acting techniques to help you raise your game for the times that really count.
This post is part of TED’s “How to Be a Better Human” series, each of which contains a piece of helpful advice from someone in the TED community; browse through all the posts here.
When was the last time you performed? Was it in a college play? A middle school talent show? Karaoke with your coworkers? Or was it the time you met with your supervisor to negotiate a salary increase?
While that last question may not seem to belong with the others, it does to Michael and Amy Port, two trained actors turned speaking coaches. Most of us need to perform all the time, even if we don’t see ourselves as performers, they say in a TEDxCambridge talk. “In our personal and professional lives, we’re called upon to make toasts, give eulogies, nail a job interview, or win a negotiation, and they’re all high-stakes situations,” says Michael.
One way that we can help ourselves excel in these situations is by thinking like a professional performer — i.e., an actor. “Just as actors use techniques on the stage to create a believable reality, non-actors can use the same techniques off the stage to create a reality of their choosing,” says Michael.
Please note: Using acting techniques isn’t the same thing as manipulating people, or being phony or fake. Instead, it’s about communicating in a way that moves others to see your point of view and, at times, act in your favor. When you go to the theater, the most convincing Juliet is able to make the audience understand — or, better yet, feel — why she simply has to marry Romeo despite all the obstacles.
Essentially, this comes down to being intentional — with yourself and with others — about what you’re trying to achieve. Whether you’re attempting to persuade a landlord of the urgent need to replace your stove or connecting with another parent at your child’s school to set up a play date, “all day long, we try to affect people and … we make people feel things,” says Amy. “The difference is if we’re trying to get what we want and we don’t consciously choose our objectives, we’re still making people feel things — we’re just doing it unconsciously or even thoughtlessly.”
Here are three general principles to follow:
1. Know your big picture goal
An actor always performs with a clear purpose or motivation in mind. When you’re thinking about your next high-stakes situation, ask yourself the same question that actors ask when developing a character: “What’s my end goal?”
What this means: Think about your long-term objective, not just the immediate one. For example, when Michael met Amy’s parents for the first time, he went beyond thinking how he could impress them in that meeting and focused on how he wanted to achieve a harmonious, integrated family in the long run. This helped him make choices that were in line with his larger purpose…
…keep reading the full & original article HERE