Life ever thrown you a wild ball?

Something happens that you would never have expected. I guess that's the whole point of calling the "unexpected" a wild ball... huh? It may very well be that it is not the curve ball itself that surprises us, but it is the disappointment from our expectations not being fulfilled.

I believe it is really helpful to remain optimistic with our expectations. I have had some difficulty convincing a buddy of mine that my philosophy is better than his. He has a different approach in regard to his personal expectations. He tells me "I expect the worst, that way I won't end up disappointed with the outcome." He feels thinking in the negative works best for him. Hmmm, I guess I'd rather feel disappointment from time to time than to become a pessimist (psst.. I know he feels disappointment sometimes, never mind what he says).

There is another option. Rather than being optimistic or pessimistic in regard to your expectations why not drop all expectations? I've tried, with limited success, to withhold expectations concerning upcoming events or circumstance. Walking into a situation without any expectation would likely be a better approach to take. Good luck with that! Being without expectations or preconceived notions would likely be more difficult than living a life without judgments or opinions. Our dreams, desires, and needs, get in the way. We naturally have expectations. We want to be in control of our lives. We want to be offered that perfect job. We want our family to support us. We want to be desirable to our partners. We want to be treated fairly. We want, we want, we want, and we want... of course we do.

But, sometimes, there is a greater plan in play. We don't always get what we want, but we always get what is right for us. The wild ball coming our way requires us to duck or dodge, altering our game plan. The rules have changed, our expectations altered once again. We get to see things differently. Sometimes the alternate path offered is a difficult one. Keep your eyes open, there are gems to be found along the challenging and rocky pathways. Remember, your party with fewer guests allowed you to have more intimate conversations, and likely deepened your relationships with those individuals.

Life is good when you let it flow naturally. Expect to get sucked into the river of life without a paddle occasionally, and maybe even get tossed out of the canoe. Learn to swim and go with the flow.

Thanking You

Atul Sikrai

Chief Mentor

Esteem Melife.