Spontaneous: A Word for Your Day

By Jane Bishop

When did you last do something spontaneous, off the cuff? Words associated with describing spontaneous include “coming or resulting from a natural impulse or tendency; without effort or premeditation; natural and unconstrained; unplanned.”

Check in with yourself and ask, Am I spontaneous? Why or why not?

While it may sound counterintuitive, allowing yourself to be spontaneous creates space to nurture happiness, creativity, alertness, and flexibility. However, in the culture of “busyness,” the space to allow spontaneity is often overlooked and undervalued. I offer this insight from Greg McKeown’s book, Essentialism: “If you do not have time to be bored, you are too busy.” That is a “wow” for me! If I do not have space to do something off the cuff, I am too busy!

I enjoy spontaneity and look for opportunities to do something unplanned/ off the cuff. In the current season of my life as a caregiver while navigating life and business, doing something unplanned gives my brain a break which nurtures my well-being. It may be bursting into song or laughing out loud watching a movie at night or choosing the “long way” to a destination for fun. I have also enjoyed lying on the ground and looking at the clouds. The opportunities to be spontaneous for a brief period of time are almost endless and the release experienced is refreshing!

Be aware, there is a difference between impulsive and spontaneous. When we are impulsive, it involves something compulsive, unconscious,

Gwinnett Tech Spotlight: Ryan Moore Named GOAL Student

By

Our Town Gwinnett Staff

To stand out in a crowd of thousands of students is no easy feat, but Gwinnett Technical College student Ryan Moore has done just that. Moore, a resident of Covington, was recently named Gwinnett Technical College’s Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) winner. The Surgical Technology student was one of eighty nominated for the honor at Gwinnett Tech this year.

Moore was born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in the countryside of Georgia in Newton County. Since childhood, he has always loved helping people and was fascinated with science. The combination of this, plus his favorite shows, Scrubs and House, brought the aspiration to become a doctor. Moore overcame tribulations growing up, but with advice from his brother at one of his lowest points, “..that he was rooting