Keep the rebel artist alive in you.

You were a kid once, full of hope, curiosity and creative rebellion. Your imagination knew no boundaries. You made up stories and pretended. You broke the rules here and there, and you colored outside the lines.

In those days you marveled at just about everything, and felt seduced—seduced to have fun, to take a dare, to wander and wonder, to question the way things have always been done, to yearn and to learn, and to seek new quests and half-crazy adventures.

What happened? It’s time to be there again.

Take Yourself by Surprise

Be unlike you now and then. Escape the treadmill of predictability. Wear colored socks. Take the scenic route to work. Retune your radio to Beethoven or Mariachi music for awhile. Feed the birds at lunch. Give blood or volunteer at the food bank. Call your mother, father, brother or sister. Plant a flaming yellow rhododendron. Buy a vegetable or fruit you’ve never tried before. Adopt a lonely little wiener dog or a giant Maine Coon cat. Write a love letter to your significant other. Turn off the TV and talk to your kids.

 Do Something Brilliant Every Day This Week

Strike out in some new directions. Sign up for martial arts or creative dance. Make a spectacular presentation. Invent a new product or service. Obliterate your sales goal. Dream a wonderful dream. Prepare an astounding meal. Tell an outrageous joke. Savor life. Remember, we only pass this way once.