Parts of my life are very predictable — most mornings, I am up at 4:30am. I am at work by 7:45am and take my lunch at noon. Most weekends and evenings, I can be found at one of my boys’ events or functions or I am reading or writing something. But every once in awhile, I like to stir it up. For example, if I wear a dress and heels to work, my co-workers make a bigger deal of it than I would like, but it is fun to watch their expressions. That is MY fun! Have you ever done that? When you have done something or said something where it causes the people around you to take a double-take because either their eyes don’t believe what they are seeing or their ears don’t believe what they are hearing? Have we become such creatures of habit that we are more robotic than lifelike? If we had to pick what we would be doing three weeks from now, would it be the same as what we are doing now? After a while, it just sounds boring. You know it and I know it. Don’t get me wrong — nothing is wrong with predictable. I know plenty of people that are perfectly happy doing the same things day in and day out. But what if that mold doesn’t fit you? What if that’s not enough? Maybe you are afraid of doing something that you think isn’t you or that you are not good at it. I can think of a few things. Maybe you are not sure where to start. How do you start anything new? At the beginning of course!! You can stop being predictable any time you want anything different, if you are willing to try. Nothing makes me smile and have more fun than when I do something that people DON’T expect me to do. Is there something you have been you have been wanting to try but have found an excuse to prevent you from giving it a go? I go outside my comfort zone from time to time and have committed to challenging myself as much as I can to try new things…even if I never do it again…even if I am no good at it. Why do it do that? Because it gets me out of my normal routine and it allows me to play a new role that makes me very unpredictable. What are you doing that is predictable? Is there anything you can do to stir it up? I bet you can find something…invite an old friend to dinner…wear something you never thought you would wear…participate in your first 5K. There are lots of things you can say, too. You can tell the co-worker who seems to dislike you, “Good morning!” or “Have a great day!”…tell someone that you love them…or even apologize for hurting someone. If even for a moment, step away from the routine and surprise people with a small glimmer of who you can be! And let’s go a little old school… “Stir It Up” by Patti LaBelle
Michelle Homme 2013 ©
