The Significance of the Unexpected

I thought this was a fitting piece of information to share on this Friday the 13th!  Have a great Bobcat Weekend!

The Significance of the Unexpected

Do you hate it when things don’t go the way you planned? The times where you go, “that wasn’t supposed to happen!” Does it frustrate you when things don’t go as expected? Most people say yes, of course. Unexpected circumstances are usually bad. Someone quits, new technology doesn’t work, new competitors come along, and you are thrown for a loop. Consider the value of the unanticipated in your life.
There is a lot to be said about the unexpected and how it impacts our reality.

The value of the unexpected:

¨       It brings you into the present moment. No matter how busy and preoccupied you are if something you aren’t expecting occurs it brings you square into the present, forcing you to deal with reality.

¨       It’s memorable. People remember unexpected things (i.e. - Not many people will forget September 11th).

¨       It balances expectations. Human satisfaction lies in our expectations, most of them based on assumptions that can be unrealistic or wrong. When unexpected things happen it releases the tension of assumptions and expectations and creates a more balanced perspective of reality.

¨       Unexpected events can change your life- often times for the better.
Often the unexpected really isn’t unexpected, it happens because we ignore reality and balance is shifted to the point where something unexpected has to occur to adjust our reality. For example a divorce or a job change happens because somewhere the relationship isn’t working and we’ve successfully ignored it- until now.

¨       The unexpected is the foundation of humor. A good joke leads you in one direction and than comes smashing into an illogical idea (the punch line).
A joke is a surprising connection of two illogical ideas. Your mind is going one way when suddenly you are forced to go in this new, unanticipated direction. A joke is funny because the punch line is unexpected. If you understand the joke and get the connection, you laugh. With this laughter comes the release of endorphins and stress reducing hormones. Most people don’t laugh at a joke when they have heard it before because the punch line is expected.

¨       It makes you creative. The basis of humor is also the basis of creativity—the unexpected joining of dissimilar elements to form a new whole reality that makes sense. For example, Hutchins put an alarm and a clock together and got an alarm clock. Lipman put a pencil and an eraser together and got a pencil with an eraser. Someone put a rag and a stick together and got a mop. Most new ideas are created from bringing together what is already there.

¨       Handling the unexpected teaches you to be flexible. It forces you to deal with the way things are not the way you wish they were. Leaving you better equipped to meet unexpected challenges.
Most people think unexpected things are bad, but sometimes they’re not; they are memorable, they balance our perspective, put us in the moment, decrease tension, and make us more creative.

¨       Unexpected things- the sudden left turn when you were expecting the road to go straight can actually be good for you.