A better father with improvisation.

Have you ever freely played in the moment with your children?  Told a story that you didn’t know what the ending was going to be?

That is the essence of living!

I would rate myself a solid 7 as a parent.  I am slightly better than average, but there are probably superstar parents out there that would rate a deserving 10.  However, without the skills I have obtained through improvising, I would slump to a 5 – average, par.  Have you ever watched a child in the moment, and that moment is the only moment that matters?  They make it appear so effortless.  That’s because to children, living in the moment IS effortless.  They have nothing to weigh them down, they are not thinking of reports or meetings, or anything not happening at that moment.  They don’t waste their time laying a path, they live in the moment and, LET THE PATH FIND THEM.

Do we realize how lucky we are when they invite us into their fold of living in the moment and letting the path find us?  This is when the truly great living is done, when the great inspiration and innovation occur, as people come together, not knowing anything but the present moment with the people that surround them.  Children try to teach us this, or reteach us, this on a daily basis, but we have been so reformatted against the moment, and to future, that sometimes we can’t even see the gift they are giving us.  When I’m smart, I listen to my children’s teachings and join them in their moment.  I am lucky I know how to do this, it gives me those extra 2 points on the dad scale.  But I digress ….

Is the future important?  Absolutely.

But sometimes we can ride the moments and they will bring the future to us, instead of arbitrarily naming a future that may not even be the appropriate or best future.  But thanks to improvisation, my family can …

ride from moment to moment, responsibly, knowing our future is made up of the path we create together.

Challenge: let your children teach you how to ride the moment.