“And the days that I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations, I have really good days.”
Ray Wylie Hubbard
Expectations are funny things. So much of our subjective experience seems to be impacted by what we expected might happen. In small ways - expectations may be high about a book or movie because everybody you know says it's brilliant; and then the book or film doesn't meet expectations. Keeping expectations of say an event low, can mean that the experience is enjoyed far more, simply because it is better than you thought it might have been. As I said, funny old things.
I quite like how this quote brings into play not only expectations, but also that sense of gratitude. I imagine it is about keeping an eye on the small things to be thankful for: the moments; the words; the beauty; the small acts of kindness that we come across or find and taking the time to not only acknowledge them, but to also have gratitude for them.
Having gratitude for something places value on, it means that you realise that it benefits your life or your wellbeing and that you know that it might not have been there and now it is.
I think it is a simple way of looking at the world - imagine the opposite where expectations are high and gratitude is low - a bit of a recipe for a miserable old time really. So I shall be trying - especially at this time of year, to manage both my expectations and my gratitude.
I was so grateful that my dad planted sweet peas at the cottage in the hope that they might bloom when I was there - and they did - and every day for 8 weeks we had sweet peas in the kitchen...
Ray Wylie Hubbard
Expectations are funny things. So much of our subjective experience seems to be impacted by what we expected might happen. In small ways - expectations may be high about a book or movie because everybody you know says it's brilliant; and then the book or film doesn't meet expectations. Keeping expectations of say an event low, can mean that the experience is enjoyed far more, simply because it is better than you thought it might have been. As I said, funny old things.
I quite like how this quote brings into play not only expectations, but also that sense of gratitude. I imagine it is about keeping an eye on the small things to be thankful for: the moments; the words; the beauty; the small acts of kindness that we come across or find and taking the time to not only acknowledge them, but to also have gratitude for them.
Having gratitude for something places value on, it means that you realise that it benefits your life or your wellbeing and that you know that it might not have been there and now it is.
I think it is a simple way of looking at the world - imagine the opposite where expectations are high and gratitude is low - a bit of a recipe for a miserable old time really. So I shall be trying - especially at this time of year, to manage both my expectations and my gratitude.
I was so grateful that my dad planted sweet peas at the cottage in the hope that they might bloom when I was there - and they did - and every day for 8 weeks we had sweet peas in the kitchen...
I love that quote and ponderings. What a clever Dad to get sweet peas growing in the Autumn. I can just smell them now. Truly grateful. My mother used to sing 'count your blessings one by one.'
ReplyDeleteOh Louise - I love the scent of sweet peas and how good was Dad to have a go and for them to be waiting in Autumn for me to harvest and cherish? I think gratitude is somehow more than mindfulness/awareness/acknowledgement - and I was truly grateful. I love your mum's little song as well - counting blessing one by one...go well.
DeleteI do love this quote and the forethought of your dad's planting ... your ponderings brought this to mind: we would do well to look for opportunities in which to choose to be happy
ReplyDeleteThere is most definitely something in that notion Liz - looking for opportunities to choose to be happy. It seems to me that would be about acknowledging things and being grateful for them too. I imagine too often we miss that opportunity; or choose by intention or default to not be happy. Interesting! Go well.
DeleteOh Fiona, this is lovely to read and see...
ReplyDelete