The Power of Being Someone Else

Reverend Soulseeker and Robin Wood prepare for a day out in London

  Yesterday I organised a day out with my family from Frontier Trainings. We are a group of entrepreneurs who are brought together by Clinton Swaine. He teaches business games and gets his points across with the use of an impressive wardrobe and many different characters - that he calls faculty members.

  During some of his advanced courses a few weeks ago I started adopting a few alter egos of my own and felt how different it felt to wear the clothes of someone else and think differently. During the training I became a Buddhist monk, a hippie, a super hero and a Frenchman. Each character involved me thinking through a different set of values, a different attitude and a different voice. Each new character transformed my presence in the room and on stage.

  Not only did this prove to be interesting, it also proved to be a lot of fun. So much so that other members of the group started to reinvent themselves. It was a great exercise in being who we wanted to be and inventing new faculty members that had the traits that we wanted to develop.

  Yesterday I sent out a message to the attendees of the training and over 20 turned up in London yesterday dressed in an alter-ego. Our mission was to spread love and have fun around London. Never before have so many people wanted to have their photo taken with me in one day. I became Robin Woods, a character intent on justice and freedom. On a day that a bigger march of protest about the G-20 summit happened - we decided to march against the flow of the rest of the marchers and focus on love.

  Singing Monty Python on the tube and seeing the responses of the other commuters was particularly fun and seeing so many people smile back and join in was the recipe for an uplifting day out. Witnessing the transformations in the personalities of the group was incredible - not to mention the creative conversations as people got into character and let their imagination run away.

  I can honestly say that this was one of the best days of my life and I will be having plenty more. For anyone reading this - the next one will be on the 9th May, in London. If you want to create an alter ego, feel positive and have a lot of fun then come along and witness the power of positive energy.