A TALE OF MAPLE AND SAUSAGE

“We must let go of any expectations of how life should be,

in order to experience how life can be.”

-          Debra L Reble

I'm currently on vacation and enjoying a delicious breakfast with a view of the ocean.  I ordered some cheddar scrambled eggs with sausage and waffles.  As I bite into  my first piece of sausage something unexpected happens.  What the hell is this sweetness I'm tasting in my spicy sausage.  Eww.  Is that maple flavor?  That doesn't belong there!

And then a second unexpected thing happens.  I actually pause to consider my reaction.  Now Brian, don't be so rigid.  It's maple.  You love maple.  And you love sausage.  Just open your mind a sliver more and see that its actually good!  I ate the whole thing!

This made me realize that expectations affect how you react to everything.  I didn't even stop to appreciate the experience and take a moment to let what was happening register.  Well, at least not right away.  My mind immediately went to reaction.  This is not what was expected!  Shut it down!

This is why the mind always needs to be questioned.  The mind likes shortcuts.  Its more efficient.  This can come in handy when you’re brushing your teeth or tying your shoes.  Think about all the things you do on autopilot.  This saves a lot of energy that can be put to better use.  But when it makes your world smaller and your mind less open to new things, its getting in the way of your personal growth and expansion.

Expectations can rob you of a lot of joy and happiness if you let them.  Have you ever had that experience where a movie comes out and everyone is talking about how great it is and you just have to go see it?  So you find some time and finally watch it only to find that you thought it was just alright, or worse, horrible?  Or, from the other angle, you're mindlessly scrolling Netflix and you find a movie you've never heard of and give it a try and it ends up becoming one of your favorite movies of all time?  This is the power of expectation.  It is influencing your decisions without even giving you a chance to form your own opinion.

To expand your mind and allow the many possibilities that exist to enter your life it is important to try and let go of as many expectations as you can.  Not all of them.  Some are useful and we will talk more about that in a minute.  But you should definitely let go of the doom and gloom expectations that show up as worry and catastrophizing.  Focusing on what could go wrong leaves no room for something to go right and only ensures that it will happen.  Energy flows where attention goes. 

Another one to let go of is fixating on how what you want will show up.  I want to move to California and be able to afford a comfortable life there, but I have to have all the money I will ever need before I go.  And it has to be a beach house in Laguna Beach.  But what if the Universe wants to give you a fantastic way to earn enough money to move that helps others and makes you feel fulfilled?  And what if the house isn’t right on the beach but is just a few blocks away and the house is in Monterey or San Diego?  By expecting it to be exactly the way you have seen it in your mind you are cutting yourself off from a myriad of other ways the Universe can deliver to you what you want, or even something far better than you could ever have expected. 

And finally we need to look at the expectations we place on others, often without their awareness or consent.  Expecting someone to solve all your problems, make you feel better about your insecurities or be responsible for your happiness is not only not their responsibility but it disables you and robs you of your sovereignty and personal power.  People can, of course, contribute to these things but it should never be something that is expected from them.  It is a gift they can bestow upon you if they have the desire and capacity to do so. 

So what kind of expectations should we keep then?  The expectation that no matter what happens you will be able to handle it.  The expectation that everything will work out for you.  The expectation that you are worthy of love and happiness.  The expectation that the Universe will deliver to you everything you need to fulfill the life you dream of. 

So get out there.  Do your thing.  And expect responsibly.