Life is an Experiment
and the more you make the better

I've started to observe that life is truly an endless series of a small experiments. In the words of Canadian filmmaker David Cronenbery...

Everybody’s a mad scientist, and life is their lab. We're all trying to experiment to find a way to live, to solve problems, to fend off madness and chaos.

Recently, I saw the movie Yes Man, starring Jim Carrey, with a friend. A typical Carrey style comedy (people tend to either love or hate Carrey's unique comedic style) I found the movie carried a lot of really profound and powerful messages within. The film is based on the book by Danny Wallace.

If you don't know of him, Danny is a British guy who some years ago decided to start a 'cult' as an experiment – and became a global phenomenon. After learning at his uncle's funeral that he'd once tried to start a cult, Danny wondered what that might be like and placed an ad in a local newspaper with the invitation 'Join Me' along with his phone number. Just one guy replied to the ad and the two met for a beer where they came up with the idea of performing random acts of kindness for no reason whatsoever. These guys formed a 'kindness collective' which grew from just two to dozens of people, then hundreds, then thousands of people – performing random acts of kindness around the world – as members of these 'Karma Armies'.

Since this movement began, Danny wrote a book called Join Me which became a worldwide hit, and was followed by more books including Random Acts of Kindness and Yes Man which became a movie – and more.

Think about this for a moment. One completely unknown guy did something totally small and random as an experiment, which went on to become a book and global phenomenon, TV and Radio show and now a hit Hollywood movie starring Jim Carrey.

Do you think when Danny placed that small ad as a simple experiment, he imagined his life would have turned out this way?

I doubt it. He just followed an intuitive nudge from within, gave it a go and allowed things unfold in ways that have now led to a new career and life which is basically having a whole lot of fun doing what he loves with people he loves. Sounds pretty cool to me.

Back to the movie Yes Man. Two things in particular stuck with me from that. First, the main guy Carl (played by Carrey) who was living life as a couch potato, avoiding the world and not participating in general, attended a 'self help seminar' and took up a challenge to start saying YES to life. That is, he said YES to every opportunity which came his way...never knowing where they might lead to...and the movie went on to demonstrate how seemingly small incidents or decisions in fact synchronistically often led to something much greater. In my own experience in life I find that to be true.

This message in the movie literally changed the life of a friend of mine, Brian, almost overnight.

The day after we saw Yes Man, Brian emailed me to share his realisation that in any ways he had been living his life like Carl in the movie. His routine was the same every day, he realised how often he said 'no' to opportunities which were offered to him and as a result, his life was in a rut – he was unhappy, single and broke. After watching the film, Brian decided to experiment on himself and started saying YES to every opportunity which came his way. Now just 4 months later, I have personally witnessed how Brian's lfe has changed – his business is going to a whole new level, he attracted a new girlfriend after being single for five years, he says YES more often to his two boys and he now expresses and experience more joy and happiness in his life.

Are YOU saying YES to life and getting out of your comfort zone to explore new possibilities... to create your own experiments? What would happen if you did?

The second scene that really spoke to me in the movie was in the Hollywood Bowl where Carl's girlfriend Alison [paraphrasing here] says to him 'The whole world is a playground and somehow along the way we forgot.'

Such a simple statement and yet so true. With all the 'seriousness' of the economy, world events and challenges in life, somehow we have forgotten the world IS our playground. Unlike children who play and experience the joy in every present moment and are always creating, many of us have forgotten that instead of getting caught up in the 'drama' and shrinking back from it all in fear or uncertainty, we can view what is going on around us as a new experience to grow and learn from, in each moment.

We can use this as an opportunity to step up to the challenges before us, to change our thoughts, make new choices and start doing something differently, even in very small ways, that will eventually bring us new, richer (in every way) and satisfying experiences.

I have discovered that life truly is an experiment and when we start to see it that way, it becomes more of a mystery to be explored, something to lean into, and embrace as an opportunity for self expansion.

This concept reminds me of a great quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson:

Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better. What if they are a little course, and you may get your coat soiled or torn? What if you do fail, and get fairly rolled in the dirt once or twice. Up again, you shall never be so afraid of a tumble.

The times we are now experiencing around the world are not going to go away in a matter of days, weeks or months. It may even be years before we see, hear and feel a global sense of optimism for our future and tangible evidence of this in terms of economic growth, more jobs, happier news and a healthier planet.

That's why it's so important that even if you're feeling like you've been knocked down, you've just got to get up again. That's true courage and inspiration. 

I was privileged to watch the inauguration of Barack Obama in January while in the USA. Like most people in America and certainly around the world, I feel the time we are now entering brings with it not only the challenges of overcoming adversity, but great strength, courage, spirit and hope.

Everything starts with a thought. Then that thought must be followed by actions. Consistent, daily actions that are in line with and in support of that thought and desire. Slowly but surely, each small step you take, each small experiment you make, will get you closer to where you want to be, closer to who you ultimately want to become.

What experiments are you making in your life today? If you're not making any, why not start now?

I'd love to hear your results – happy experimenting!

Love, light and laughter

Julie Ann Storr
Chief Inspiration Officer

PS. Follow me on Twitter @JulieAnnStorr and @nibbanaTV and Friend me on Facebook
(mention nibbana in your friend request, to be accepted) 

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