The Magic Silverware: What a Fork Taught Me About Communication
Your Feelings Are Yours—But They Shape the Script
Here’s what I’ve learned after years of studying acting, psychology, and human behavior:
We all carry our own magic silverware — ordinary things that carry extraordinary weight.
Whether it’s a look, a phrase, a silence, or a smell—something stirs us.
And that stirring often writes the next line in the scene we’re in.
It shapes our tone. Our tension.
Our ability to listen, speak, connect, or pull away.
But most of us go through the day unaware that we’ve just been emotionally “triggered” — not in a dramatic way, but in a subtle, sneaky, very human way.
Acting Isn’t Pretending—It’s Practicing Presence
In my Acting Out of Character™ workshops, we use performance techniques—like presence, listening, voice, breath, and improvisation—not to “fake it,” but to rehearse awareness.
We practice showing up with more intention.
Just like an actor doesn’t walk on stage and wing it, we shouldn’t walk into conversations blindly.
The difference is that actors get a script. You don’t.
But what if you could rehearse anyway?
What if you had tools to recognize when you’re reacting from an old emotional script—and choose a new one?
The Lesson of the Fork
That fork in my drawer doesn’t just connect me to the past—it reminds me that my feelings are mine.
And when I own them, I can choose how to respond instead of reacting on autopilot.
It’s not about being less emotional. It’s about being more aware of the role your emotions are playing in your communication.
Try This
Think of an object that holds personal meaning for you.
Something no one else would understand unless you explained it.
Now ask yourself:
What does this object make me feel?
How do those feelings affect how I speak, listen, or relate to others?
When I’m in conversation, am I present—or in a memory?
Because…
Sometimes a fork is just a fork.
But sometimes it’s a reminder:
You don’t have to be stuck in a scene that no longer fits.
You can rewrite.
You can rehearse.
You can show up differently.
That’s what Acting Out of Character™ is all about.