If the world is a stage, and we are all characters playing different roles; at what point do we rehearse our lines to deliver a perfect performance?
All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts are seven ages.
This popular monologue in Shakespeare’s pastoral comedy, As You Like It, is perhaps the literary truth of human’s existence.
The world is a colossal stage. Think of 197 million square miles (510 million square km) spherical surface area with an equatorial circumference of about 24,901 miles (40,075 km).
That’s all jargon, I know. But if you are interested, read here when you are done with this article. The point is, the world is a bigger stage than anything you have ever seen or imagined.
For every time you do something, or experience changes, you are fitting into a character and living a storyline. Also, we are all affected by people’s roles and by every phase.
Like every play, there are heroes and villains, sages and clowns, leads and supporting characters, as well as foils and onlookers. Good thing, you get to choose your role.
It is a play where talents choose their roles, develop their script and direct themselves. Of course, on stage with every eye glued to you.
Unlike what we have in theatre halls, the global stage is a whole reality apart.
The grave is our backstage, and we don’t get to rehearse our parts for our acts. This may be responsible for a lot of disorganized performances—conflicts, crisis, insecurity, wars, and every global problem—we have had.
But, we have also enjoyed love, happiness, wealth and much good stuff that made you smile. The difference is in the roles we play. Synonymously, the choices we make as individuals.
Now, this.
The world is your best place to deal with your struggles, crisis, insecurities and insanity. It’s also a haven to own your story, project happiness, achieve all those heights, and choose to live — all these without minding who is watching.
Yes, that’s true.
It’s a place to face your hubris and hamartia, or live with them. It’s a place where you correct mistakes and not live with them. You can also fail and succeed.
Like every heroic character, you are full of complexities, and flaws; but what’s most important is the process of discovery, change and self-awareness.
When you create your story, you can develop and evolve. You do not have to play a role for a lifetime. If a role doesn’t fit, you can take up another.
Imagine the world is a big screen and someone is on the other end watching, what would you say?
Ponder.
The world is a big ancient book of stories with presently 7 billion nano-stories and tales of the dead. But also, the world is not a complete book without your story.
So, own your life. Tell your story, fearlessly. Refuse to be doctored. Prepare to fail and to be booed. It is all part of the performance.
At the end of your performance, no one would remember how terrible your first scene was; it would be about how you delivered excellently.
You can not be sidelined, except you choose to stay off. If you meet a terrible person, remember that who he is should not change your script or character. You must be actively involved in what goes on in your life and how things affect you.
Now, if the world is a stage, and we are all characters playing different roles; at what point do we rehearse our lines to deliver a perfect performance?
There is no perfect performance, but we learn to deliver better every time in this world than we have done before.
The world is a stage for talents and a grave for the silent.
So dear, One…Two…Three.
Action!
You may want to listen to my current mood: King & Lionheart, by Of Monsters and Men.
Teminikansoso 🖊
