SURPRISE ME!

Item #4 in Ten Secrets to Choosing Joy: Give Away What You Need

THE FOURSOME
Sitting in Starbucks I overheard a foursome discussing business. Much of it was negative, eg “If we do that it’ll kill us”; or “If that happens our business will just die”. They began discussing whether or not to hire a new applicant. Their methods were absurd, horrific even. What they based their decision on could just as easily have been a dice throw. As a psychic, one of my specialties has been corporate consulting regarding employees, based on their names.

THE PREMISE
It got me to thinking, how each of us is a fount of wisdom having some hidden knowledge or talent that would surprise others. So I decided to ask people what theirs’ were. I wanted to be amazed and learn and connect.

Soon, a single lady replaced the foursome. I immediately began chatting and told her of the concept and asked her what her surprise was. “What is it that would surprise people about what you know or what you do or want? Her daughter, who had joined her in the midst of this, answered quickly for her Mom who had a blank look. “She volunteers everywhere for everything… She’s always helping people.” Then her daughter wanted a turn. She was passionate about her school interests and her love for children. She wanted to help people. In addition, a recent video she’d seen dovetailed with my comments to her about the wonderful organization Save The Children. It turned out the organization was discussed in that same video. Like an interesting confirmation, the universe was saying to her to take notice and take a second look. Who knows what that sparked in her. She was a dynamic young lady.

MR QUIET AND SHY
Next a young man sat in the armchair near me. He was quiet, kept to himself and seemed sort of shy. After two seconds of small chit chat, I asked him the same thing, telling him of the foursome. What was his surprise? “I’m in a rock band.” he said. He had been for years! You would never have even guessed it. That led to an intense conversation about his hopes and dreams, what was holding him back, creating the reality he wanted, the false dream for him called marriage and the Beaver Cleaver family he thought he’d been raised in until in his early 20s he woke up, the veil ripped away, replaced by a different reality. He’d thought every childhood was like his and that it was normal. He had thought it was normal to have a drunk daddy that mommy cracked open the beer bottles for all day while he drove them on the Cleaver family vacation. At least he did wake up. Many haven’t.

YOUR TURN
Next time you are alone but yearn for company or conversation in a bus, on a park bench, in a restaurant, at a coffee shop or in line at the checkout, ask the person next to you “What is your surprise? What would people be surprised that you do, think, have, want or know?”

It’s a lot more interesting than “Do you live nearby?” and “Isn’t it cold out?” You’ll be surprised!

So write to me and SURPRISE ME!