Great Expectations!

The best way to avoid expectation is to live fully in the present moment. This, however, is easier said than done! The vast majority of our life is spent in reflecting on the past and wondering about the future, and whilst we need a certain amount of reflection to develop self-awareness, it is easy to get lost in the ‘what ifs’ of our future, and the ‘if onlys’ of our past! It is helpful to reflect, and to use our experiences as a tool for development, learning from our mistakes and finding new ways to tackle old problems. This way we are able to revisit the past and use the lessons we learned there to shape a better future.

My mum had this saying when I was a child, and I’ll always remember it -

“Oh how I wish I was your age and knew what I know now!”

Hindsight can be a wonderful thing, but getting stuck in the past and bemoaning our mistakes is always counterproductive. Despite wanting to change what’s gone, wishing we could have done things differently, or wallowing in shame for our misdemeanours, this kind of reflection does nothing to help us in this moment now! In truth the only thing that really exists is ‘NOW’!

‘The past is history, the future is a mystery, all we really have is the present - and that is the gift of this life’.

No matter how difficult your past has been - today is a new day! The only thing holding you back from total transformation is your own mind. What you believe about who you are shapes your future. Yesterday is gone, and whilst those in your circle 🔵 may try to hold you into the version of self that suits their purpose, you can always break free! You can change your circle.

Just like the caterpillar it is possible to emerge transformed from the chrysalis. It may seem impossible in this moment, but often circumstances arise that press us into a complete life change. My own experience has taught me that these circumstances are not usually pleasant, but they are always a Divine Unfolding, bringing us onto a new path that will inevitably lead us where we are meant to go. Maybe what we’ve spent our whole life looking for is just around the next corner - we just couldn't see it from our present vantage point!

The future is not certain for any of us, especially in these turbulent days. So whilst the future may be out of our control - there is one thing we CAN control, and that is our perception of it. We can see the glass half empty, or half full! Which will you choose?

Living each day to it’s fullest will require us, as individuals, to live more in the moment. We may have no power to change our present circumstances, but we CAN change our responses to them. We can change direction and reinvent ourself many times over. Could it be that the obstacle blocking our path is actually the catalyst for our transformation? That insurmountable problem may seem insignificant in retrospect. So we may arise like a phoenix from the ashes of our former life - wondering why it took us so long to find our way here!

I must confess that I, like many of you, have often had Great Expectations in my life. I've had my own ideas about how things should turn out, where I'd be, what I'd be doing, and with whom. Yet life has a way of sending us what we need rather than what we want.

Every life lesson has purpose. So whilst I believe life is a journey that ultimately takes us where we are meant to go, placing around us whoever we need to further our development, I also believe that we have our own part to play! We are the makers of our own Destiny.

Will we struggle against the twists and turns, or will we surrender? Allowing life to perfect us through every lesson?

Wherever you are in this moment, if everything is going well, or if you're facing difficult circumstances or uncomfortable life choices, I wish you strength and wisdom and every blessing for the future. In fact, I couldn't put it better in words than the lyrics of this song, sung by Rascal Flatts.

Much love, health and happiness,

Carole 💜🙏