Everybody Should Play the Fool

"If you are never scared, embarrassed, or hurt, it means you never take chances."
Julia Soul

When I read this quote, I thought about how often we are more afraid of either someone else or ourselves perceiving us as a fool (or foolish) than actually doing what might or might not lead to that outcome.

If the following example doesn't fit you, pick your own as though this were fill-in-the-blank. Imagine a party where people are dancing. One person doesn't feel comfortable going onto the dance floor. Maybe a thought crosses the person's mind that he should take dance lessons as he notices the good dancers. Maybe she notices those dancing who would not be considered good, but are out there anyway. One thought that will probably cross this person's mind is, "I wish I wasn't afraid to look like a fool." Now imagine this person about to leave his or her life reflecting back on experiences. Do you think the person's thought will be, "Life was kind of dull, but at least I never looked foolish," or "Why didn't I enjoy my moments more no matter how I might appear?"

We should strive for a level of balance in all things that is comfortable for us. Certainly, there are times it's prudent to heed things we should be scared of, or would not just embarrass but totally humiliate us, and to avoid people and situations we know will bring great emotional pain to our lives. These are extremes. The quote primarily refers to everything else. A really great response if concerned with these non-extremes is, "So what?!"

If you get on the dance floor and have fun no matter how you look, isn't that a better memory than being a wall flower wishing you weren't afraid of possibly embarrassing yourself? Are you afraid to call that person you're interested in because he or she might turn you down for a date? There are only two answers that can be given if you do: Yes or no. If it's no, trust that this is appropriate for your life and move on. You can apply this to any situation.

In the Tarot cards, the Fool is the innocent who takes chances. Taking a chance on life, vocation, love, or whatever is like walking up to a door and opening it. The unknown may be on the other side, but the unknown is where all potentials and possibilities reside. You only know what you already have. Is that always enough for you? Perhaps you can pick one simpler thing to try this out on. Take a chance of looking foolish. If you play the fool, choose to laugh and say, "So what?!" For all you know, it may work in your favor and create a wonderful memory and a new direction for your life. At the very least, you might laugh more.