Reply
Regular Contributor
Posts: 157
Registered: ‎08-26-2015

When did you surprise yourself by doing something amazing?

Please share with us one example of you surprising yourself by having done something amazing.  Could be anything - Soup to nuts.

 

Thanks for being the amazing people that you are!

Super Contributor
Posts: 443
Registered: ‎09-23-2015

Re: When did you surprise yourself by doing something amazing?

I hate to toot my own horn , but will share to encourage others who think they're too old to fulfill their dreams. I wrote and recorded a collection of songs on a CD all after age 50. Did the harmonizing and vocals, too. Also had five books published after 50, too.
"I always have a chair for you in the smallest parlor in the world, to wit, my heart." --Emily Dickinson
Highlighted
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,759
Registered: ‎05-08-2010

Re: When did you surprise yourself by doing something amazing?


wrote:
I hate to toot my own horn , but will share to encourage others who think they're too old to fulfill their dreams. I wrote and recorded a collection of songs on a CD all after age 50. Did the harmonizing and vocals, too. Also had five books published after 50, too.

@Constance2  That IS amazing.....toot away........really....just be careful you might form lip lines!.....just kidding!.............

AMAZING Constance!

Fear not Brothers and Sisters! I have read THE BOOK..........we win!!!
Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,309
Registered: ‎10-15-2010

Re: When did you surprise yourself by doing something amazing?

[ Edited ]

When I saved the last surviving puppy from a litter of three with absolutely no experience with babies or animals of any kind. 

 

I fed her using a baby bottle and kept her warm by heating water bottles every two hours. I amazed myself at how instinctual 'motherhood' was to me. She became my life. I would not sleep until she was well fed and someone took over in the morning. I did this for almost a month and a half until she could eat on her own.  

 

Then, it was onto potty training etc. and  acquainting her again with canine mom. I had to leave her when she was three months old and it broke my heart but she's in good hands. I was able to see her last month and she remembered me!! She's one of the loves of my life and always will be.

~Live with Intention~
Regular Contributor
Posts: 157
Registered: ‎08-26-2015

Re: When did you surprise yourself by doing something amazing?

I've been fortunate with some pretty amazing moments.  One of them came when I had to step away from healthcare admin in the early 90s, during a crisis in that field in CA.  Admin/managerial positions just dried up, so I took a job as the personal assistant to the CEO of a software development corp in Silicon Valley.

 

My duties were quite diverse, including being at the beg-and-call of all of the department directors, if something of great import arose.  Though we had an Office Manager, the CEO wanted me to oversee the hiring and daily duties of our receptionist. 

 

One day the Director of Quality Assurance came into my office and asked to borrow the receptionist.  This was a rather odd request, so I grabbed Linda (receptionist) and we headed back to the coding floor with the Director, where I was floored with the Director's request: she wanted my receptionist to study an algorhythm in order to determine where the error was!  Linda looked over at me with a terrified look on her face and, frankly, I couldn't blame her.  However, the Director had received permission from the CEO for this to occur.  (To this day, I am appalled this was allowed to occur.)  Before exiting, I told Linda to sit quietly for a few minutes and study the algorhytm, explaining first to her what an algorhythm was, and to please come to my office if she honestly felt she had hit a brick wall.  After 10 minutes, Linda arrived in my office, shut he door and began to cry and shake.  I spoke to her for a few minutes, made her a cup of tea, told her to stay in my office, put on her favorite radio station and left for the QA Director's office. 

 

I was absolutely livid about the entire approach to the error in the algorhythm.  And why would they, including the CEO, agree to use the recetionist to try to find the error?  Ridiculous!

 

So, I sat down with Irina and told her this entire approach was entirely out of line and she was never to ask for or use anyone under my supervision again, CEO or not, as Linda was near hysterics in my office and I would be sending her home for a half day off, thanks to you.  And, BTW, let me see this algorhythm.  She handed it over.  I placed it on the large table in her office and studie it for some minute, my fingers tracing various "paths."

 

Now mind you, I do not code and have no experience in QA which is algorhythm related.  However,

 

A-HA!!!

 

I said to Irina.  Here's your error.  Irina said, "Show me, what do you mean?"  And so I did.  Then this just slipped of my mouth, "What i**ot designed this?"

 

"I did," said Irina.

 

That day was one of mental pain for Linda, but amazement for me.  Apparently my brain was able to do what the creator of the algorhythm and Director of QA could not.  I am constantly amazed by the abilities within ourselves, if only we just let go and let it happen.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,019
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: When did you surprise yourself by doing something amazing?

When I was 22 years old, at my parents suggestion, I started contributing to a savings account exclusively for my retirement at 55 years old.  When my employer offered a 401K plan providing for matching funds, I saw it as a suppplement to my savings account and a tax dodge.  It was very satisfying to leave the working world at 55 knowing that I had stuck to my savings plan and that it would, hopefully, provide a comfortable retirement.  

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,347
Registered: ‎07-25-2010

Re: When did you surprise yourself by doing something amazing?

I fell down and I got up.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 11,415
Registered: ‎03-12-2010

Re: When did you surprise yourself by doing something amazing?

I've rescued animals from time to time, ands don't discount that by any means (there's not much better!) but I most amazed myself with a physical move when I was a kid, probably 12 or so.

 

I was running across my lawn, away from the house toward the street, and jumped over the low fence that separated the yard from the sidewalk.  Something happened and I was about to trip.  I felt that I was ready to go down hard, but somehow some sort of "stuntwoman" alter ego took over, and I dove down,  did a somersault, and got right back up again.  And this was on the street!

[was Homegirl] Love to be home . . . thus the screen name. Joined 2003.
Honored Contributor
Posts: 25,929
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: When did you surprise yourself by doing something amazing?

When i was 30 years old I was widowed suddenly when my husband's business was robed and he was killed. He had custody of his 2 teenage children from his first marriage. We had heavy debt due to him borrowing to start a business and we had a large mortgage, plus he did not have health insurance or life insurance so I had medical and funeral bills. I had to start over, sell the house, bankrupt and close the business and get myself a full time job with benefits to start paying back the hospital and supporting myself and the kids. By the grace of God I got through all this thanks to a very supportive and strong family, and just sheer determination. I lost the man I loved and all my (our) dreams in one instant. I never had the privledge to sit around and mourn for him, I immediately had to start work and caring for someone else's children and straightening out my financial life the day after I buried him.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,917
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: When did you surprise yourself by doing something amazing?

I found out about a needy family in my sons class at school.so I arranged the most amazing Christmas for them.It was all inclusive from tree,decorations,food,and gifts.I had someone else deliver it though so I never got to see their happiness.