Acting “as if”….
….is a theory that can automatically turn you into a writer, lavish entrepreneur, or just an all around badass. Even your favorite Xmen superhero, with powers you’ve always dreamed of, is on the table. (Okay, that last one is not official but I’m getting closer every day….oh, and I will get there). The more I think about this, the more I understand it. Think about when you defy your previous beliefs about yourself when you face a fear. If you have done it once then you have acted “as if.” Think about the countless papers you wrote in college. Everyone invariably says they BS’ed their way through it but you secretly knew your paper sounded impressive, awe-inspiring and on the verge of profound. You were acting “as if” you were a badass. Even if a couple of glasses of wine were involved, you became a badass, if not only for a moment. When your professor read your paper, he definitely thought, “This kid’s got it going on!” -even if he had a little influence from something Bob Marley or Snoop Lion may deem an acceptable form of spiritual healing.
At this moment, I’m acting “as if” I don’t really have a job but I sometimes choose to work…sometimes. My teaching schedule allows for this thought process more so than a typical office job but it does change my perspective. I mean, I’m just going to school each day to volunteer out of the goodness of my heart. See how that works? I really believe that right now. It’s the only way to survive the day after Thanksgiving break anyway.
“All you need is 20 seconds of insane courage and I promise you something great will come of it.” -We Bought a Zoo
See, it even worked for Matt Damon…and boy did he need it. But seriously, in 20 seconds he acted “as if” he was a confident lady-killer with swagger so that he could impress his future wife. Obviously, Matt Damon doesn’t actually need this theory to make that happen. Have you seen him as Carol on 30 Rock? Yeah. Same thing with Jon Hamm. He could be Drew (30 Rock) all day long as long as I could pretend “as if” he was Don Draper every once in a while. 😉
Either way, acting “as if” works! – and it can work for you too! Think of all the possibilities! Act “as if” you are an olympian swimmer when you’re eating 5,000 calories a day. Act “as if” you are a player on Survivor as you try to figure out how you are going to live on an insufficient salary the rest of your life. I challenge you to act “as if” you are an up-and-coming singer who only needs a few more lessons in order to make it big as you sing in the shower. You’ll sit in front of your computer so you can read the lyrics simultaneously while listening to “The Climb” and doing your best performance for your neighbors on the other side of the wall. See how it makes you feel? Awesome, right?
If none of these work for you- just listen to Bad Girls by M.I.A. (skip to 0:24 below) and go rob a bank. That “as if” trick can turn you into a criminal too.*
*I don’t recommend this in real life but daydream this all you want. I know I do.
onthecontrarykelly 