I will not hide my tastes or aversions. I will so trust that what is deep is holy, if we follow the truth, it will bring us out safe at last. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Prompt:  Think of a time when you didn’t think you were capable of doing something, but then surprised yourself.  How will you surprise yourself this week? (Author: Ashley Ambirge)

Doing Wow!

Come from behind, surprise a child by saying “boo” and the reaction is either to giggle for joy or cry out of fear.   The surprise “boo” breaks routine and brings some expected wow into a child’s life.  That’s a good thing.  It’s called living.  I try doing wow weekly.  My wow is simply exploring, discovering or trying something outside of my other routines.

Routine defines our work.  If you write every day for a living, you’re a writer. An artist’s routine is to paint, draw or sculpt.  Campaigning is a politician’s routine.  If telling jokes is your routine, you’re a comedian.  Routine also limits living.  Habitual thoughts of defeat builds fears and insecurities. Constantly being late misses early opportunities.  A series of sameness avoids discovering something new.  A routine of inaction means no progress.

Surprises balance our lives.  Too much routine and too few surprises lack wow, and without wow we never fully come alive.  As a child, I waited for others to surprise me.  As an adult, I work on surprising myself by doing wow regularly.  This week doing wow will mean doing something as hard as writing and posting this blog daily while traveling and doing something as easy as congratulating myself and thinking, “Wow, I did it!”