I’ve been immersed in Shakespeare again.  A performance of ‘The Merry Wives of Windsor’ at the weekend and then a surprise trip to the McCready theatre in Rugby to see an Audience with Sir Gregory Doran, former Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company and one my all time favourite directors.

He talked about – among many other topics – how some people go to see a play for the quotes.  In other words, the lines they recognise.

Reflecting on this, I began to wonder whether we sometimes lose the meaning or profundity of a line simply because it is so familiar.

The line above, ‘Fortune is merry – and in this mood will grant us anything’ is one I like because it carries with it (for me) such a joyful feeling.

Have you ever felt as though you can have anything you want?  That’s what this line is about.  In times past, people ascribed their moods, behaviour and results to outside forces – or Gods.

We know better than to do that, but we can still experience that joyful feeling when everything and anything feels possible.  Try saying the line out loud and notice how you feel…

Last week I had a lovely holiday in Tuscany.  We hired a car and drove around some of the places you can only reach by car – and often the final stage is only on foot.

This photo was taken in San Gimignano, famous for it’s medieval ‘sky-scrapers’.  They’re hard to photograph on a phone. which is why I’m sharing this picture instead.

One of the interesting challenges of the week was driving a left-hand drive car on the opposite side of the road from the one we drive on in the UK.  I have done it before but it’s something that needs a greater level of concentration and mental energy.

I also know that the greatest risk often comes at the point of starting to feel comfortable and confident.  This is when the ‘autopilot’ can take over and there’s a danger of driving on the wrong side of the road without realising it.

A long time ago, someone gave me a great piece of advice:  as driver, you’re in the middle of the road not the edge.

When negotiating a junction, it’s a really useful check point.  Am I in the centre of the road?

What also helped enormously was the ‘co-pilot’ dialogue my friend and I developed.  Having another pair of eyes on the sat-nav and the road really helped me.

 

We know that doing an unfamiliar task or doing a familiar task in a new way engages the brain in a totally different way.  It puts us in a learning frame of mind as opposed to the ‘autopilot’ mode and it opens up the opportunity to make new mental connections.

At times, I felt as though my brain was fizzing!

Having said that, I found the whole experience quite stimulating and enjoyable.  I’ve come back home thinking that it’s something we could build into life quite easily…

For example, try brushing your teeth with the opposite hand.  Have a go at using your non-preferred hand for household tasks like washing up, dusting or vacuuming.

Put your phone in the opposite hand…

There are lots of possibilities.  I’d love to hear your ideas and experiences.