“Life Lessons From Juggling” by Jeff Civillico

I am a professional entertainer. I market and perform a one-man physical stunt show I call Comedy in Action, based on my childhood passion of juggling. Juggling!  Pretty random, right?  When you see the word “juggling” you probably think of clowns and circuses.  I tell a joke in my show—“I didn’t want to embarrass my parents by telling them I’m a professional juggler…they think I’m in jail.”

My point is that juggling is not a skill you would normally consider to be of any practical value for “the real world.”  Not so.  In this article I am putting aside the fact that juggling has given me an amazingly fulfilling career traveling the world as a performer.  Here I am focusing on the skill purely as a tool for personal development.

Juggling very quickly gave me real practical knowledge of 3 life skills: overcoming fear, setting goals, and maintaining focus.

1) Overcoming Fear: If you’re reading this, there is a very good chance you do NOT know how to juggle.  There is also a very good chance you do not think you ever COULD learn how to juggle.  Most people are afraid to try something as unusual as juggling.  Maybe they don’t want to look foolish in front of others.  Maybe they just aren’t comfortable with the awkwardness that naturally exists with any new skill.  Anytime you learn something new it feels awkward.  Remember trying to ride a bike as a kid?  Or learning to drive?  As a professional juggler, I am constantly learning new skills, constantly trying to stretch myself and make my body create what my mind can visualize.  I am very seldom afraid to try new things anymore because I am used to the inevitable learning curve.  I understand it is merely part of the process of development and stretching oneself further.  I am comfortable feeling out of my comfort zone.  I am comfortable “dropping the ball,” picking up, and trying again.  I have felt this confidence spill over into all areas of my life.

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