On May 21, 1990, audiences tuned in to the series finale of the CBS show Newhart. They probably expected a standard final episode that wrapped up the 8-season run telling the story of Dick Louden, a Vermont innkeeper played by Bob Newhart, and the oddball cast of characters who populated the show.

This was not Bob Newhart’s first foray into the world of sitcoms. He had previously starred in another successful series, The Bob Newhart Show, which ran for 6 seasons in the 1970s.

In the second-to-last scene of the Newhart finale, Bob stands in the doorway of his inn and gets hit with a golf ball, knocking him unconscious. Then in the final scene, much to the surprise and delight of the audience, he wakes up in bed next to his wife from The Bob Newhart Show and explains that he had a strange dream about being an innkeeper.

It was a brilliant way to tie the two series together, and is considered one of the best series finales in TV history.

Surprise endings work in real life, too. Maybe up to this point, you have lived on a certain pathway of tempered expectations and muted dreams. Maybe nobody expected much out of you. Maybe you don’t expect much out of yourself, hoping to just scrape by and, if you get lucky, something good will come along.

You can write a new ending that surprises everyone, including yourself. You can choose your pathway and rise to the occasion by taking charge of your life. Don’t let anyone else determine your ending. It’s for you and you alone to choose.

Daily Question: Have you decided to take charge of your life direction?