on expectations

Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.

• Alexander Pope

It’s so easy to get caught up in our vision for the future that it starts to feel like anything other than that exact future is a disappointment.

Our expectations, what they are and what they hold, are within our power to set.

I was reminded recently that not all expectations are useful. They’re not useful, for example, when we cling to them. Allow expectations to guide, sure, but not to dictate.

The analogy that resonated was the difference between a compass and a map. The compass points the way, but it’s incumbent on the traveler to find the path. A map determines the route. There may be “alternative” routes, but still, there are expectations built in.