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Daily Question, April 19

What has surpassed my expectations in life?

  • Antoinette

    Today’s question is the same as yesterday’s- so I’ll see what comes up for me now .
    I’m surprised by how much life teaches me each moment and when I let go of ideas, expectations, thoughts, storylines about the past and the future there is freedom.
    Freedom from the bondages of ruminating.
    Love, truth and trust open up when I let go.

  • Malag

    That I can share my life with my partner for over 30 years and we’re still talking and have common interests.

  • Dusty Su

    I have had to tailor my expectations. At age 16, I set out to change the world with love. Of course, the part of the world that changed the most was myself, and not even that successfully, ha! My expectations are presently a good deal more humble, yet I am a great deal more grateful for even the smallest lasting change.

  • Sandy Meyer

    The desire of others to give. To give of their time, of their experience, of their resources. It amazes me how people have no expectation of a benefit to themselves and just give.

  • Cathie
    Life in general has surpassed my expectations - as a child I was small and a late bloomer add this to family addiction issues and let’s just say life was tough and I had to get tough to survive. Then as a young adult my path began to get smoother, only for me to have mysterious health, pregnancy and pain issues - - well at 30 I thought this is it I will be like this the rest of my life. Childless and unable to move much if any at all! But then I was gifted with Tai chi, meditation throug...

    Life in general has surpassed my expectations – as a child I was small and a late bloomer add this to family addiction issues and let’s just say life was tough and I had to get tough to survive.
    Then as a young adult my path began to get smoother, only for me to have mysterious health, pregnancy and pain issues – – well at 30 I thought this is it I will be like this the rest of my life. Childless and unable to move much if any at all!
    But then I was gifted with Tai chi, meditation through contemplative prayer, good doctors AND had a child and my life turned around!
    You just never know what to expect if you remain hopeful, grateful, and keep trying.
    At times I am so thankful for minor issues because that means I am functioning – LIVING!!!
    When I take the time to look back I realize I had never expected the life I am living – it has surpassed any hope I held during my dark times.

    Read More
  • Melissa

    Being a twin. To share childhood with another makes for a lifetime loving bond. Which I did not expect as a child.

  • ryanmopo

    The willingness of other people to accept me as I am. I think my anxiety set the expectations very low, but I’m blown away by how much some people can not just accept, but earnestly love, my quirky and weird self.

  • sunnypatti

    My ability to know love, give love, BE love, and be LOVED. I had it all wrong in the past, and I thank God for His grace, patience, guidance, and, of course, love! He taught me to love myself, and that changed my entire world.

  • Antoinette

    Being alive is in and of itself surpassed anything! Life is a miracle! I have a precious human life that is something to truly be grateful and amazed by!

  • Francine Marie Tolf

    The depth of a bond between human and animal.

  • sb
    So hard to answer as I'm not really sure what expectations I have had! But a few things do strike me - the love shown to me by family and my husband -I am forever grateful and somewhat surprised by the strength and endurance of their love; the fact that I have come full circle -I started in a job I loved (teaching), somehow accidentally ended up as a Head Teacher of the school I was in and then executive Head of three school, nearly collapsed under the strain, took time out, struggled to find s...

    So hard to answer as I’m not really sure what expectations I have had!
    But a few things do strike me – the love shown to me by family and my husband -I am forever grateful and somewhat surprised by the strength and endurance of their love; the fact that I have come full circle -I started in a job I loved (teaching), somehow accidentally ended up as a Head Teacher of the school I was in and then executive Head of three school, nearly collapsed under the strain, took time out, struggled to find self worth again and finally have ended up back in my original school in class, enjoying the time with the children; amazing improvements to my health allowing me to live normally, at least for now….
    It is good to stop and think and realise again how lucky I am.

    Read More
  • Don Jones

    The power and resilience of the Truth. And the stupidity and ignorance of those that think they can hide or obscure it.

  • Rob Kinslow

    How much I remember. I’m two-thirds through life and even the distant past feels close at hand — mainly the things that have come to make my life feel meaningful to me. I’ve saved a lot of mementos over the years, which helps, but I also feel wealthy in my memory.

  • expati

    Retired life in central Mexico. Been here since 2003!

  • Mica

    My current life, for the last few yrs, and as far into the future as I can ‘see’. Such wonderful changes from most of my earlier life.

  • Lauryn

    I’m actually trying not to have any expectations and go with the flow.

    • expati

      I see this mentioned many times here and can accept it. But does this mean you live without any goals or visions, only in the present all of the time?

      • Antoinette
        I think I have written something like this before as well and to me it means that I do what I believe is right ethically/ give love unconditionally. To not have an expectation means we move through the world doing what’s right. We can’t control the outside world but we can make choices to the right thing . Going with the flow means to me that when things happen out of my control I may not like them but I can choose my best response and go with the flow. An example could be I get a migraine a...

        I think I have written something like this before as well and to me it means that I do what I believe is right ethically/ give love unconditionally. To not have an expectation means we move through the world doing what’s right. We can’t control the outside world but we can make choices to the right thing . Going with the flow means to me that when things happen out of my control I may not like them but I can choose my best response and go with the flow. An example could be I get a migraine and I don’t want to have one but I must make a good choice and take my meds and let my body rest. I go with the flow by accepting reality.
        I think this is what I mean most of the time when I no expectations and go with the flow . Hope this is helpful.

        Read More
        • expati

          I like what you said here. There’s a problem I see with defining what is an expectation. You expect to do the right thing. But sometimes you don’t?

          • Antoinette
            Of course we don’t always do the right thing! We’re human! I would like to always be present enough to make ethical conduct my go to way of being but sometimes my emotions take over and maybe I say an unwise thing or make an unwise decision. Could be I eat too much ice cream and my stomach hurts! It doesn’t matter what exact examples we use. When I think of expecting I think of how I want others to respond to me . That’s where I get caught or stuck. I find Disappointment lies in expect...

            Of course we don’t always do the right thing! We’re human! I would like to always be present enough to make ethical conduct my go to way of being but sometimes my emotions take over and maybe I say an unwise thing or make an unwise decision. Could be I eat too much ice cream and my stomach hurts! It doesn’t matter what exact examples we use.
            When I think of expecting I think of how I want others to respond to me . That’s where I get caught or stuck. I find Disappointment lies in expectations. I can’t control others or even many of the events that occur in the world but I can try my best to respond with compassion and kindness. I can say yes this too to the present moment letting go of whatever ideas of expectations are there.
            Does this help?

            Read More
      • Holly in Ohio

        I think the questions strike us differently at different times. We also have a community here that is deeply rich in diversity. I benefit from understanding different perspectives. Would you care to elaborate, Lauryn?

  • Yram

    When I think of how far things have progressed, like party lines on the telephone, a car that monitors how close I come to another car and alerts me, a TV that is only 3 inches thick, seeing my children on a screen and talking in real time, how small the world is, and how interconnected we all are. Then there are the things that have a long way to go yet and lessons yet to be learned.

  • Elaine

    I think I protect myself from the pain of disappointment by keeping expectations low. On the other hand, if I had expectations about my late life marriage, they have been wildly exceeded – am blessed beyond imagining with financial comfort that has enabled enriching travel and cultural experiences, a wider circle of wonderful new friendships and the simple joys of daily domestic life.

  • SK

    My lengthy career (43 years) as a Speech-Language Pathologist being able to do the work, meet the people, have the positions I had. My friendships have surpassed anything I could have imagined; the family I had (now that I am able to reflect on all those years); the husband i was gifted with; living in Ludington, Michigan and having an amazing life.

  • Toni
    What has surpassed my expectations in life? I'm having difficulty with this question. I guess living a simple life is not what I expected my life to be. But somehow I'm ok living with day to day reality. I do hope for a brighter future for my life and for the world and know we are all in transition in one way or another but I am not trying to escape like I once did. So I guess that life in the day to day has become acceptable when at one time it was unbearable. I don't know if that is con...

    What has surpassed my expectations in life? I’m having difficulty with this question. I guess living a simple life is not what I expected my life to be. But somehow I’m ok living with day to day reality. I do hope for a brighter future for my life and for the world and know we are all in transition in one way or another but I am not trying to escape like I once did. So I guess that life in the day to day has become acceptable when at one time it was unbearable. I don’t know if that is contentment or depression. I don’t question life as much or have fantasies for something else. At 65 in decent health with room for improvement I can count my blessings but I still want vitality and people to share good times with. So living a simple life with me and my kitten is enough right now and a trust and have faith in God being in control not me life. I’m open to surprises but I don’t really have expectations. I have hope for a better world and see some progress and lots of injustices but since they are being exposed i do hope the hating, violence, and greed are on the way out. It’s hard to witness with hope. But I do have hope. It’s not so much in what I see or expect. I’m not sure if that makes any sense but it’s better than living in fear and delusion. So like Kevin I would have thought we’d be further along by now. But I still hope for a better world, a healthier earth, justice, love and kindness to be the norm. Marvin Gay’s song rings to mind, “What’s going on?” It’s sobering but I do hope injustice it runs its’ course and we enter into the age of Aquarius where peace and understanding becomes our reality. I’m still a hippy at heart!

    Read More
    • Mica

      It’s good, at least, to have a living ball of fur at home with you, isn’t it? May friends and vitality come to you : )

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