Things may not always work out as you’ve planned. Maybe you carry formulas and steps around in your head and believe if you follow the suggested protocol your desired outcome will prevail. That mindset may work for some things like making chocolate chip cookies, but it doesn’t work when it comes to the story of your life. In fact, unexpected outcomes and events happen all the time. You may even find yourself in a space where you’re grateful you didn’t get the ending you originally wanted. Having expectations isn’t a problem unless you believe you can expect a certain outcome at every aspect of your journey. Angst, frustration and prolonged disappointment occur when we force our logic – abounding in “shoulds” – to be in constant battle with the universe and what is. When you let go of your original plan and amend it to work in harmony with what is, then you can expect beautiful things to happen. That means accepting where you are right now and reminding yourself that you are capable of digging in or digging out so you can flow with the present moment to that next place. That means trusting yourself and believing that eventually you’ll fall into a place where you’ll be given the opportunity to thrive in a new way – your way. Not the ways of others or the world’s way, your way.

So, what can you expect? For starters, you will not be on this earth forever. Does that expectation drive you to see your time in a different way? Drinking in the universal truth that our time is limited forces you to look at the things that hold you back from living the life you were intended to live. Dive into what those things are. You’ll most likely see those things are based in fear. Fear of not being good enough, fear of failure, fear of judgement or fear of change usually top the list. Imagine not having those fears. What would your life look like? How would you approach each day? There’s a good chance you’ll spend less time comparing and contrasting yourself to people on social media. There’s a good chance you’ll try new things, step out of your comfort zone, love more, stumble more and pick yourself up off the floor more too. There’s a good chance that every time you rise from the floor, you’ll remember you can rise and learn which direction to face and what to carry on this life journey. There’s a good chance you’ll face the light where there’s possibility, expansion and light beams showing you different paths. You’ll run from the land of “Whys and Shoulds” which is one dimensional, linear, self-defeating and lonely. There’s a good chance you’ll expect that the universe and the Divine will always be that hand on your back that holds you up or gently nudges you towards the light too. Have the expectation that life will be one of your most important teachers if you are willing to learn, let go of fear and take chances. In doing so, expect that you’ll spend more time in the present moment knowing those moments here are precious because they are finite. Upon clearing the fog of fear from your eyes, expect to see the world and all that’s possible in a new, more amazing way abounding in opportunity and grace.

Expect that there are universal truths that we cannot control. There will be struggle and unrest, but it’s possible to follow up those things with adaptation, growth and reinvention. When you think you can medicate, isolate, avoid or burrow forever in an attempt to bypass struggle, expect that true healing and being all you were meant to be will never occur. Surrendering to what is, which includes pain sometimes, will always be a part of this life because change is constant in this always moving universe. Just keep searching for the path of light no matter how battered or bruised you are. Maybe just stand there for a while until you muster the strength to move. Stay in your struggle and feel. Expect it to pass and notice what comes next moment to moment and what changes inside and outside of you. Tears fall from the sky because the clouds cannot contain all they’re holding and neither can we sometimes. But noticing what follows a storm and how you’ve weathered it, can change everything too. After a storm the world and you have a chance to grow, learn and adapt to what just happened. Reinvention may feel scary, but it can also be freeing, exciting and move you one step closer to revealing the real you. The world is always turning, moving and responding to what is and it does its best to adapt and reinvent. Expect that you have the ability to do the same.

Most people do the best they can to make the right decisions based on what they know. Often those decisions are good ones if they are flavored with the best parts of you which include: your dreams, your desires, your gifts, an intention to create good and what you know for sure. Stay in the here and now more often to keep you grounded in what is and plan from there. Trust yourself and all the wisdom you’ve acquired by rising. Know you are held by the universe and the Divine even when you can’t feel it all the time. Always remember life here has a beginning and an end. Let that expectation light a fire under your butt which involves letting go of fear and the mindset that struggle and hard work can be avoided. Expect to learn from the world around you about adaptation, reinvention and the value of being who you were meant to be. Face the light, catch beams of possibility, know you’re going to be ok and expect you are capable of amazing things.

Questions/activities to ponder or good journal prompts!

1. Think of a time when an expectation you had did not happen. How did you initially react? How do you feel about that outcome now?
2. What does it feel like to face the light? When looking at all that is possible, what feelings rise to the top and why?
3. Does the thought of reinventing yourself sound exciting? Why/why not?
4. When you’ve made decisions based on your desires, your gifts and what you know for sure, how have things worked out in the short term? In the long term?
5. When has the acquisition of wisdom happened in your life? What event/s occurred that fostered your growth and why?