Player – Redux

Shakespeare wrote that ” All the World’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players…” His words remind us of the impermanence of it all and that ours is but a fleeting appearance on the earth, akin to an actor whose adventures are limited to an hour and a half of celluloid.

If I were an actor, I would not choose the arbitrary approach of improvising and blundering my way through a scene. Instead, I would become a method actor, rehearsing vigilantly to ensure that the performance I give is the best that I am capable of. Stanislavski would be my acting Gung Fu sifu.

The same parallels are applied to anything I do, be it Martial Arts, magic or meditation. I recognise from the outset that my involvement in the activity requires immense discipline, practise and rehearsal, so that my performance is one that gives me some sense of gratification.

P’rhaps Shakespeare intended to convey a meaning such as this; that we are not observers of our interaction within the world and towards other people, but we have the chance to add our own artistic flair, breathing life into those interactions.

That whilst most people are content to be complacent ‘extras’ standing helplessly on the periphery of a film set, the ones that make a real impact, the ones who have any importance attached to them are those who give themselves a great deal of self-worth, work hard both persistently and tirelessly.