No one Wants to be a puppet
You and I will do almost anything for attention.
In an effort to be seen you and I will do almost anything. This desire starts very young when every boy or girl craves the attention of his or her parents. A perfect example of this need is observed in the puppet scene in the classic movie The Sound of Music. Here we have all six children participating as musical voices for their respective puppets in an effort to catch the eye of their Father.
The movie continues as the children come from back-stage as puppeteers to reveal another level of themselves in a more intimate serenade to their Father. At the end of these songs, the once harsh and overtly disciplined Father rewards his children with what they want most – his love.
Thinking like a puppet
This payoff is learned early and is the reason we’ll do anything to be seen. The problem with wanting to be seen at all costs is what we give up to be noticed –ourselves. We configure and practice with our puppet daily thinking what we should say or do to draw laughter, appreciation or applause. Sometimes we do it for so long we actually forget we’re not puppets.
Our actions need to be ours not those of a marionette. Frankly, it’s impossible to anticipate the reactions of others in an effort to make quick adjustments to be seen, accepted and loved. And herein lies the crossroad; do anything to be seen or be seen being you. The later takes you on a journey that you may initially perceive as tough or even scary.
In this conscious awakening you may entertain fearsome questions such as; “Who am I? What am I doing? Is being me enough? Will I be loved… if I’m just me?” To make things worse these questions go round and round like the chorus of a song that is stuck in our heads. At this point maybe the magnitude of our tradeoff, to be seen at the cost of everything, begins to hit.
It can be a heavy blow. No one likes to think of himself as a puppet. Doing things or not doing things because of how someone may think of you -the real you- is the biggest string to you and I being a puppet. Pretending it’s not true only keeps you and I in another performance and is further proof to what we think we need to give up.
Cutting the puppet strings
Being seen as a puppet or a character isn’t any different than someone wearing a mask. It’s true you and I want to be seen. It isn’t true that you need to be seen as someone else to do it. Quite simply what if you and I cut the strings? What if we stopped acting?
Imagine being seen for who you really are. No strings. No mask. Just you. Imagine expressing yourself without concern of judgment, worry or limits of being you. Imagine being loved, not for your performance, but because you were willing to reveal your authentic self. In any such moment there is no greater joy.