Flexing the Surprise Muscle
Flexing the Surprise Muscle
Are you someone who likes or dislikes surprises? This isn't usually an either-
or question. Dealing with the unexpected can slow down efficiency but
pushing on without self awareness can result in a bad case of, "We may be lost
but we're making good time!" The real question is, how nimble do I want to
be with the unexpected? What have I learned?
Today I had a chance to use the STAMINA Scan questions on a surprising start
to my day.
I recently upgraded my computer so now I have a steady flow of new tech
surprises and puzzles to solve. All this improvement is slowing down my
efficiency. Passwords are a fact of life for all the new bells and whistles. A
recent bright idea was to put all my passwords on a wonderful list to which I
can refer whenever I need to. (Note this is a crafty memory management
strategy.) This morning when I restarted my computer I was surprised to find
I needed a password to get into my computer. Oh no! The crafty new
document was on the computer, the one I couldn’t get into without a
password.
How did this throw me off balance?
I was dumbfounded.
How did I respond as a first reaction?
Yelping ensued along with an instant list of worst-case scenarios. I enlisted
my husband in the panic, along with a good pinch of self-criticism for my short
sightedness. (Irritating husband pointed out same.)
How did I achieve a new level of balance?
I have been grinding through quite a few new computer challenges lately, so
with determination I could grudgingly try every password I’ve scribbled on
my desk blotter until I got the right one. Groaning ensued as I scanned the
jumble. I started with my best guess and voila! Lucky me.
How would I rate my surprise muscle? a) Pretty Darn Good, b) A Little Wobbly,
c)Trudging Along, d) Wilting
Between b) and c) Surprise was met with shame, blame and panic. Great. But
thinking about it, I did draw on my growing experience and patience with tech
problem solving.
How can I build strength or more flexibility with surprises?
Instead of fighting the need to deal with these onerous cognitive skirmishes
with my computer, taking on new computer projects can provide strength
training in patience and build my meeting-the-unexpected muscle. (Okay,
okay--this is called reframing an irritating necessity for keeping up with the
21st century. Might as well admit it with a smile.)
After thoughts
It helps to strengthen the grin muscle at every opportunity. It’s a vital element
in flexibility and balance. Which is more fun: handling surprises or surprising
people? How about making a pact with yourself to do something out of
character every day? Take Wendell Berry’s advice in his Manifesto of a
Contrarian. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwopVR1hhMU
Surprise yourself in fact, as well as others. Even better, decide how you most
like your surprises to be served. If you're mindful you can take time to spot
and enjoy the pleasant ones and roll with the unpleasant ones.
Surprise
Sunlight glints on leaves.
Clouds amaze the sky.
Wind howls in awe.
Birds sing just because.