this post was written a while back. somehow i forgot about it. maybe now was a better time to post it.

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i went on a walk today with a friend. i traveled, not far, to a whole other world: different weather, different people, different things to look at take photos of, a different rose garden. it was delightful.

On our walk the topic of living in the present came up (as it often does for me). one thing that stood out from this particular variation on the same conversation I’ve been having for ~147 days was the idea that when we aren’t able to “live in the present” we close ourselves off to the outside opportunities that our living present is manufacturing in real-time. we are more focused on an intended (or expected) outcome that we then close ourselves off to all other options. sure, that preconceived outcome may suit our needs at that time. but is it the best one? or is it the easiest one? the other outcomes may involve adversity, or humility, or work, but ultimately my experience my friends and my experiences have been that going with the flow tends to produce a better end product. whatever it ends up being, we won’t be happy with it because we were so focused on it, so sure of what it would be, before it even happened.

it’s generally best to set realistic expectations. not necessarily low. just realistic.

bonus round: don’t set any expectations at all