I played an improve game at a recent training workshop called “Assassin.” The premise is to mill around with other participants. In your mind and unbeknownst to the others, you pick one person to be the assassin and the other to be your bodyguard. The goal is to keep your bodyguard between you and the assassin as you mill around.
It is fun, fast and frenzied. It is hard to keep moving to keep the bodyguard’s protection between you and the assassin.
Metaphorically, what do you think will kill you? Is it having to make cold calls or interact with a certain colleague or customer? What are the “bodyguards” you create to keep space between you and that situation? How much energy is it consuming?
The second part of the game is to move in an equilateral triangle where there is an equal distance between you, the assassin and the bodyguard.
What I noticed was that this part was easier. It consumed less energy and the atmosphere was calmer. The frenzied pace disappeared when we were not trying to avoid the assassin or rely too heavily on the bodyguard.
What if you did not try so hard to avoid that which you thought would kill you? Finding a way to relate differently so that the dynamic shifts can actually be effective. Where we stand in relation to the situation can put us more in control.
When we don’t fear the assassin we can live in greater calmness while focusing on our goals.