The Expectation Junkie

“Trade your expectations for gratitude and the world changes instantly.” ~ Tony Robbins

 Expectation- the word itself should have two little horns adorning the top of the 'E' and a devilish little tail curling off the end of the 'N'. If I was a graphic artist I am sure I could create a wonderful image for you- but I am a mere wordsmith so you will have to do the imagery proper on your own.Expectation is the downfall of just about everything. It is also a nasty little addiction that lives within each of us but does a very good job of camouflaging itself so we don’t notice it.  We often have no idea it is slinking along the sidewall until our minds get quiet and we have a few moments of breathing space. That is when the little Expectation addict in our psyche slinks off into a corner, pulls a tourniquet of certainty tightly around our forearm, and plunges a needle full of yearning into our very being.  That’s when we get the rush; instant and deep feelings of deservedness, colorful visions of what is rightly awaiting us in the future, and the instant knowing of exactly what is coming our way, just around that next bend.But then, just like any other falsely induced high, the buzz starts to fade and the visions start to dim…. And just as that nasty little expectation junkie slinks back into the shadows, Reality politely knocks on the door to do a wellness check and demands that we step forward and show the whites of our eyes.

Once Reality arrives, she sweeps expectation out of the picture pretty quickly. It is then that we can pull gratitude around us like a robe and walk back into our lives with clarity; because when we trade our expectations for gratitude, the world changes instantly.