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Get Ready to Be Surprised

I know we can’t plan to be surprised by life and its endless events. Surprises happen when we least expect them. But if we stay locked in our rooms and comfort zones, we greatly reduce the chances of experiencing them at all.

During the week, I spend hours working and taking care of the tasks that need to be done. Some of them are enjoyable, while others are not. Still, I’m happy to do them because they support the life I want to live. Having food in the refrigerator makes preparing dinner easier. A clean house makes life more peaceful. Work allows me to contribute and grow.

I’ve learned not to rely on my mood to get started. For many tasks, I may never be in the “right mood.” Instead, I try to remind myself why a particular task is important. That usually helps me get moving. And when I really don’t like something I have to do, I try to reward myself afterward. Maybe with a walk, a good cup of coffee, or some time to read. A little incentive can make a difference.

Weekends, however, are different.

They are the perfect time to let go a little, step outside my comfort zone, and help life happen. Going for a walk, meeting up with dear friends, trying a new recipe, watching a movie, reading a book, or attending an art exhibition or a concert.

Planning these activities somehow puts me in a different place, physically and mentally, where things tend to happen. I make connections I wouldn’t make if I stayed home. I encounter new ideas. I notice things I would have otherwise missed. That sense of newness often triggers thoughts and insights that hadn’t occurred to me before.

And sometimes, I find myself in awe.

Surprised.

There is so much to learn, understand, and see from a different perspective. Perhaps that’s why making plans can be so valuable. Not because we know what we will find, but because they create opportunities to receive something we didn’t even know we needed.

This weekend, I’ll be attending a concert with a friend. I’m not familiar with the music we’ll be listening to, nor have I been to the venue before. But I know I’ll enjoy spending time with my friend, meeting new people, and exposing myself to something different. I know I’ll come back having made new connections, perhaps even new neural connections, and with a broader perspective than I had before.

Who knows? Maybe I’ll be surprised.

And you? What are you up to this weekend?

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