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Hi ,
Did you know that Thomas Jefferson’s original draft of the Declaration of Independence included an anti-slavery clause? It was removed by a pre-selected committee of reviewers before it was presented to Congress.
Thomas Jefferson wanted slavery to be abolished in the Colonies… but they had built an economic system completely dependent upon this “assemblage of horrors” as he called it. They were so dependent, that many who opposed slavery, also owned slaves.
Thomas Jefferson himself owned 600 slaves in his lifetime, including five of his own children. So when he penned his critique of slavery, calling it “a cruel war against human nature itself,” he could have finished the sentence with “of which I am an active participant.”
In improv, we have a saying “Follow the Fear.” It’s printed on the People’s Improv Theater t-shirt I’m wearing at this very moment, as a matter of fact.
Essentially, it’s a renegotiation of the feeling we have when we want to get involved but are afraid we’ll break it, or fail, or embarrass ourselves.
Instead of hiding on the sidelines, we can get out there and take some risks when we interpret fear as an invitation rather than a harbinger of doom.
As a new improviser, I delighted to hear coaches shout “follow the fear!!!” when they saw us squirming on the sidelines: both itching to get out there, and also terrified that our British accents would be disastrous, and we’d leave the scene with our tails between our legs.
If I had a time machine, I would visit Thomas Jefferson’s house on June 11th, 1776, and I would say “Tommy - FOLLOW THE FEAR.”
I would tell him about Mindful Improv Thinking and how it’s safe to do something that hasn’t been done yet. It’s safe to trust the Spirit of Truth and Love that motivated him to write the words “All men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with unalienable Rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
I would put my arm around him and say “You know what is right. Be brave enough to square up your behavior with your heart.”
It’s not that our founding fathers didn’t know better… it’s that they were waiting for anti-slavery behavior to be comfortable. It's easy to say something is wrong, and a lot harder to stop doing it.
They were afraid for the economy if they treated people fairly. They were afraid they’d lose money or stature if they took the personal economic hit of not participating in slavery. They feared not having the manpower to defeat Great Britain if they included anti-slavery language that wouldn’t be adopted by Southern members of Congress.
Bottom line: they were afraid that doing the right thing would hold them back.
I’ve been there.
So today, I honor the 4th of July by reflecting on a powerful lesson from our forefathers: there are consequences for generations when people who hear the Spirit of Love and Truth are afraid to follow through.
It matters that we stand behind our convictions with our behavior. When I sing about a flag waving over “the home of the brave,” I hold a vision of a banner of love flying over people who are brave enough to do the right thing… the thing calling in their hearts.
May we be people of love and courage, even if it comes at a cost. May we learn from history that whatever the short term cost of integrity, it pales in comparison to the long term cost of failing to do what is right.
Sending big love and light your way as you do the brave work of following the fear.
Andrea
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