Spontaneity

 I’ll Come Up with a Title (and Content Later)

  So you're thinking, "wow, he doesn’t have anything to say here” but that’s my point. I didn’t but I knew I would when the gun went off. Spontaneity. Improvisation. On the fly. In the moment. Wingin’ it. Jazz musicians do it all the time, great comedians do it all the time. Come up with something on the spur of the moment that actually seems prepared in advance. You’re a fully functioning, capable, creative human, why wouldn’t you be able to do this? I think many of us spend more time planning our summer vacations than we do our lives...yet we seem afraid to actually be truly spontaneous in so many situations. How about a quick, last minute weekend get away (yes, the In-Laws will watch the kids) how about a new restaurant, how about a different paint color instead of that familiar neutral? 

The world instils in us the very opposite instinct. We are always preparing for something, paying taxes, contributing to our RRSP to plan for retirement, planning our vacation, scheduling our weeks to fit in all our tasks and to accommodate out to do lists. Well, my suggestion is- STOP. Allow yourself the permission to not prepare for something and trust that when you are facing the impending situation you will be equipped with the appropriate skills to address, handle and more than adequately deal with the situation. Sometimes, you might even bring forth a new skill that was laying dormant in you and needed to be called upon.

A Guru with No Humour

 Be wary of the guru who lacks a strong sense of humour. Too many so called-self-improvement experts have a quality of self-righteousness that borders on some religious leaders, or communist dictators. “I have the truth! The whole truth- simply follow these steps! There is not much enjoyment in merely being pontificated at, and dryly explained 'the way things are' and 'the way you should be'.

 I once saw the D'ai Lamai in a T.V. interview. He was eating from a bowl of soup as the interviewer asked him questions. At one point he was asked “How does one find happiness? The enlightened one replied, “Not now, I'm trying to eat my soup!”  I believe there's a profound wisdom in humour. Genius comedian, director, writer Woody Allen certainly has a sartorial wit. I love his quote, “90% of life is showing up”. Groucho Marx also had an irreverent way of poking fun at institution and society and certain pompous behaviour that had an almost Shakespearean quality to it. Oscar Wilde said, “I put my genius into my life, my talent into my work.”