Everything for the Why

Cool little technique we're learning in Improv class:  Everything for the Why.

Why are you doing what you're doing in this scene?  Justifying your action (washing dishes, fishing, baking cookies, whatever) endows your location and solidifies your "where".   Your why makes your where stronger, so everything you do is for this why.  I'm baking cookies because there is no damn way Sally Sithman is going to win the church bake sale again ! Bam - go.  I'm angry baking in the kitchen, and who knocks on my door ?  My scene partner, who now becomes Sally Sithman, or my sympathetic neighbour or ... !  Simple beginning to a scene.  I'm sure there's a better way to explain this, but this is what I got out of teach's long winded monologue on the topic (he is a working actor, don't you know).

This Everything for the Why got me thinking.  Do we do this ?  Do we stop and think about what we're doing, why we're doing it ?  Are our whys solid ?  Meaningful ? Or are we going through motions ?  Are we just because-ing through life ?

Try it:  contemplate your whys.  They don't need to be monumental and sometimes they're as simple as "because I don't want to get fired" or " to relax" .  That's completely fine, but if your why seems slightly lame or  not worth the effort of the action, you've got to rethink things.  You've got to step back and maybe not do that thing.  Time is precious, we know this, by contemplating your why you immediately, effortlessly, honestly prioritize your life and do the things worthy of your time.   You owe this to yourself, don't you?

Bam - go : Everything For The Why, people !