Be Spontaneous

I had my fastest time on the Incline on a day that I wasn’t even supposed to be there. I hadn’t planned to go that day because my hiking buddy and I had already done our one Incline previously that week.

It was a hot August day; I got off work a little early and was feeling antsy. So, I said to myself, “I’m going to burn off this energy on the Incline.” And, off I went.

It was a great day. I felt great. I felt strong and my energy stayed at a high level the entire time. It was my fastest time to date. I would not have even been there if I had not been flexible and open to spontaneity.

I’ve found that the benefits of spontaneity didn’t end there – in fact, it extended to people that I met on the Incline. I found it to be important to not be so focused on my goals that I would not allow myself to be interrupted. If I had not permitted myself to be “interruptible,” I would have never met all the great friends on the Incline.

One of the unexpected aspects of doing this challenge was meeting regulars on the Incline, stopping, talking or comparing notes and getting to know them. If I had been only goal-focused, I would have missed out on one of the best aspects of doing the Incline regularly. Being open to interruptions was key to meeting these new friends and having an even more enriching experience on the Incline.

Have you ever noticed how often in Biblical account that Jesus got interrupted? He seemed to welcome these seeming distractions. Many of the miracles that Jesus performed and that were recorded in the Gospels happened during what seemed like an interruption or a disruption in what Jesus had been currently doing or had planned for the day. Think of all the people that Jesus healed after he had been interrupted from what he was originally doing. Imagine how different the narrative would have been if Jesus were annoyed with these unplanned events. You can really take any of the stories, but I envision the story that I used to hear in Sunday School where Jesus was teaching inside a house that was so crowded with people that no one could get in or out. So, a crippled man’s friends carried him to the top of the house, ripped a hole in the roof and lowered their friend down to be healed. If I were Jesus, I would have probably looked up and said something like, “Hey, can’t you see I’m speaking here? I’m about to get to my main point. Why don’t you make an appointment on my Outlook calendar and I’ll see if maybe I can help you then?”

So, what can we learn from Jesus’s example? If you pay attention you will notice a pattern. Jesus allowed himself to be interrupted by others, and when he did, “good things” happened. Maybe it’s not just about being open to interruptions or disruptions, but actively seeking out opportunities in them.

What if, like Jesus, you look for opportunities instead of the annoyances in the interruptions of life? What if you allow yourself to be interrupted for the express purpose of seeing what “good things” can come out of those situations?

You might not heal anyone, but you might help someone and I can almost guarantee that it will help change your attitude. 

Be spontaneous. Be interruptible. Be flexible. By being spontaneous, interruptible, and flexible, we can open ourselves up to new experiences and opportunities for personal growth and achievement.  

Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

James 4: 13-14 Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.”

Personal Reflection:

Think of an instance where an interruption led to a good outcome.

Where in your life do you need to allow or make room for more spontaneity?

Do you have a mindset and attitude of interruptibility? 

For more Life Lessons like this, check out my book, “Lessons from the Incline” available here: https://lnkd.in/gwma-ptF