Robbin Williams, Bio Genetics, & Letting Go

I had a great conversation with someone last week.  We were taking a class together and he came over to me and said, when something is over dramatized I find it very hard to relate to.  So much so that I can't learn from it.  If someone is overly dramatic, he's being inauthentic.  And if he's being inauthentic then I can't believe what he's saying.  

It's an interesting idea so I gave it some thought and was really happy to have the conversation.  I was thinking, so often I, we...  People turn themselves off to things because of internal beliefs.  I think fat men are lazy, real men are social, women won't relate, people of that religion are crazy, I'm not smart enough to do that, or... Over dramatization is inauthentic.  But what if that doesn't serve me? What if Robbin Williams gave a really great class on bio genetics and that's my field?  Do I really want to turn myself off to that because my definitive belief is if someone is teaching that way he can't be trusted because he's not being real?  The information is good and I have what to learn from him...  But he's so fake!

It's hard to hack into our internal belief system and rewire.  I totally get that.  If surrendering a belief that didn't serve me was an easy thing to do, I'd probably be in a better job, with a healthier body and happier family.  My guess is a lot of people would.  So fine, it's difficult...  But is it worth it?

So I posed this guy a question.  I told him I got a lot out of the class, and though dramatic I think the man was being totally real in his delivery.  Completely authentic.  Theoretically a man can convince himself that blue is red, orange is green, and purple is turquoise.  Let's say there was a case where that served him a great purpose.  Would he be wrong?  This belief you have; over dramatization is inauthentic. Does that serve you?  Or does it hold you back?  I don't know about you, but I don't think there are too many opportunities to learn bio genetics from Robbin Williams.  I wouldn't want to write it off because I'd convinced myself anyone with that kind of delivery isn't worth listening to.  

I never got my answer from the guy because I had to run.  But I think those 4 little words hit their mark.  They certainly left an impression on me.  "Does that serve you?"

There will surely be beliefs I'm going to have that will be very difficult to give up.  Grueling to part with.  A real battle.  Some may have kept me safe for years but now instead of protecting me, they keep me a prisoner.   Sometimes I've learned, and probably even more often than that, the effort to let go of those beliefs is worth it.  

Till next time,
Eric