Are You Able To Surprise Yourself?

Over the years, life can become increasingly monotonous and boring. The same work schedule every week, the same activities in your free time, similar ways to spend the weekends… Little by little, monotony makes its way into our lives. Once established, it rarely goes away. Adding excitement, fun and surprise to everyday life provides great benefits for our mental and emotional health. But surprising yourself is not an easy task. How can you do that? Keep reading to find out!

Surprising yourself: A mixture of unconsciousness and passivity

Some people often feel overwhelmed by their emotions. Their lack of perspective generates mood swings, depression or pessimism. At the other extreme, we find people who are aware of their emotions but passively accept them. They always maintain an attitude of resignation and indolence.

In the middle of both poles live people who are able to surprise themselves. These people base their lives on acceptance, awareness and dominance of their emotions. Their emotional lives are richer and they feel more autonomous and confident.

Getting out of your comfort zone: The best way to surprise yourself

Surprises rarely happen in your comfort zone. We all have a natural tendency towards what we know. Therefore, in the face of the unknown, we prefer a place where we feel comfortable and protected. Since we do not feel in danger there, we do not want to leave it.

However, we must break that barrier of comfort and see what lies beyond in order to grow. Every step you take outside your comfort zone gives you a new perspective. No matter how small it may be, it will give you something different, attractive or enriching.

Test your limits to surprise yourself

When it comes to surprising yourself, you do not need to do anything that could endanger your health or your physical or psychological well-being. You just have to test the limits of your thoughts. Why? Because your brain prefers to be conservative and maintain its automation and heuristics. It is not trained to eliminate predefined barriers.

For this reason, before making a bold decision, your mind will always give you several reasons to choose the least risky and easiest option. V ed to do it, sabotages, however, you desire to improve yourself. For example, if you dream of becoming a singer, the first thing you try to do is get that dream out of your head. Your brain will make all sorts of excuses such as: “You are already too old”, “It is very difficult to cope in the world of singing”, “You are not well enough prepared”, and “You just want to disappoint yourself”, among others. .

This happens because we are programmed to protect ourselves from danger and be on the lookout for aversive stimuli. Therefore, training the conscious mind to be positive will be one of the most difficult tasks. But the benefits more than make up for the effort.

Go back to your past… and get over it

Ask yourself what you have always wanted. What do you regret? What have you failed to achieve? Most importantly, look for reasons why you did not achieve your dreams. What kept you from achieving them?

If the answer is prejudice, then it is very likely that you will find a way to surprise yourself with effort. Remember that the brain always makes the decision that requires less effort. However, your willpower can fight against conformity.

Do something ridiculously unexpected

Walk on the dance floor or grab the karaoke microphone. Read a book in a single day. Do a new activity, such as going camping or diving. Try exotic food. Wear extravagant clothes. There are so many ways to change things.

Let go of thoughts like “What will they think of me!” or “I would never have done that”. If you want something to change, you have to do something different. Try to do activities that entertain you, motivate you and lift your spirits. It is possible that the best has not yet come.

If you feel embarrassed or worry too much about what people want to say, remember that the problem is staying in your comfort zone. This paralyzes your efforts and will never allow you to surprise yourself.

Restore part of your childhood

Children have an enviable ability to be surprised by almost anything. Everything catches their attention. But their innocence and desire to explore diminishes as they grow. However, it is always possible to summon the child inside you and rediscover yourself.

In fact, when we were little and had a choice of many toys, we usually chose the one we really loved. Our choice was not exposed to external influences or interests of any kind. Therefore, if you want to be surprised, put away your prejudices, ties, obsessions and taboos. Think like a child again!

Dare to think outside the box. Allow yourself to surprise yourself. Let your imagination fly and visualize yourself in another place in the world. Create the life you want and not what is imposed on you. Let the geometry of your consciousness curve for a moment. Be creative and innovative. Anything that has not been invented yet will probably be in the future. Surprising yourself is not easy, but it is necessary!