Day 296: Great expectations...

WARNING:  Narrowing your expectations puts you in a much greater position to experience disappointment.  Let me be clear.  I don't mean limiting your expectations.  You can have as many as you want.  What I mean is the more specific you make your expectations, the more likely you'll be disappointed.  For example.  You want a 2013 Ford F150, totally tricked out in your favorite color.  Finding that exact truck for the exact price at the exact time will be nearly impossible to achieve.  However if you were to say you're looking for a truck that does the things you need (haul ski gear, your dog, stuff from HomeDepot) your options will be more numerous and your chances of being happy with your selection will be far greater.  I'm not saying you have to dumb down your hopes and dreams but you do need to take a long hard look at what you're really wanting. 

So what are you really asking for?  If objects are all you want then objects are all you'll get.  You see folks that surround themselves with their toys, never seeming completely happy with what they have, always looking for more, even at the expense of others.  Heck, I have an in-law in Northern California that is the poster child for this.  Hey I certainly have my moments.  I want an exit row, aisle seat, even an upgrade to First Class.  I go out on photo shoots and expect to capture perfect the photograph.  I'm sure we've all heard of or even know a few people who are obsessed with acquiring a certain amount of money, or they want a particular car or that amazing house on the hill.  They HAVE to have the latest fashions or the newest techno-trinket.  For them enough is never enough.  And the reason is quite simple.  All those toys have absolutely NO meaning.  You can't glean a sense of satisfaction, gratification or achievement from the acquisition of things. 

So what's the fix, you ask?  Well gather 'round, children and I'll tell you.   Instead of having an expectation of things, create an expectation of a state of mind.  Crazy talk, you say?  Instead of Jones-ing for a particular car, house, clothes, or salary (feel free to add to the list), why not just have an expectation of having a good car, a nice house, comfortable clothes and a means to sufficiently support yourself and your family?  For me, instead of expecting a particular seat on a plane or capturing an Ansel Adams-like photograph, why shouldn't I have an expectation for a pleasant flight, regardless of where I sit?  Or why not have an expectation of a nice morning with my camera, out in nature hiking with my dog?  Whether or not I get a good seat or a good picture really shouldn't matter.  When all is said and done, can it be enough that we enjoyed the experience?  Putting our energies towards experiencing a good moment will produce a sense of gratification and completeness in our lives.  If we obsess over trinkets and toys we'll never be fully satisfied and we'll do nothing more than feed our sense of emptiness and that tape-worm called "Greed" that eats away at our soul.