Surprises stop me in my tracks, literally. They stop my thinking, hijack my emotions. I need to rest in that space to let my thoughts start up again.

…when I’m speaking in front of a group

…when I’m confronted by confusion, aggression, or even enthusiasm and delight

…when I learn something I didn’t know before

To remember to breathe in whatever anxiety, pain, euphoria, or excitement I might feel, thinking that others also go through this and gradually feeling what I feel and knowing what I know at that moment. In a world so focused on fleeing the moment, just modeling that, for myself and others, is a healing thing.

If I’m experiencing a “good” surprise I can send out the joy I feel, enabling others to feel it too. If it’s a “bad” surprise I can allow myself to experience sadness but reflect on how to diffuse it. Meeting squarely with surprise is an opportunity to practice patience and neutrality.