Much of the way we experience our day comes from what we expect of it. Expect amazing things today and it will be. Expect a bad day and that’s pretty much what you’ll get. It’s pretty simple.
A while back, I took a day off to go paddleboarding in Malibu. It was totally delicious. The water was gorgeous, the sun was shining, and a pod of dolphins swam by. I had looked forward to this for days.
I can tell you for sure that one thing that helped make it so great was that I expected it to be! In the days leading it up to going, I was making statements (affirmations, really) like, “I’m going paddleboarding on Thursday. It’s going to be amazing!”
I grew up with a major fear of the ocean. I wouldn’t even go in past my knees. For a Southern California girl, you can imagine this might be a bit of an issue. Years ago, I finally set my mind to overcoming the fear, and now I’m passionate about water sports. I snorkel, free dive, surf, and swim. Anywhere in or near the ocean is a very happy place for me! But, to be honest, there is still a sneaky little voice inside of me that will creep in and stir up anxiety when I’m faced with going into the open ocean far from the shore.
Before my day off for paddleboarding in Malibu, that annoying little voice was tempting me to make statements like, “I’m a little nervous I might fall in,” or “Going that far from the shore can be scary.” I guarantee if that were the mindset I’d been in prior to hitting the water, it would have drastically changed my experience. But, I chose to ignore those negative, limiting thoughts and instead chose to expect a fantastic experience. And it was.
Our expectations for the day usually begin in the morning. When you wake up, be conscious about the statements you’re making and the thoughts you’re choosing about the day ahead. If you’re thinking, “That marketing meeting this afternoon is going to suck big time,” you’re not only setting yourself up for a negative experience, you’re also putting out low vibrations that affect other aspects of life too. Changing your outlook and expectations can literally change what you experience. And, aligning your expectations with your positive intentions gives you that much more momentum.
This isn’t to say that everything will always turn out the way we expect it to. That would be boring! It’s also not to say that having powerful, positive expectations will never lead to disappointment. That happens sometimes, and there are always lessons to be received there. This is just to say that our expectations play a huge role in shaping the way we live – the richness, the light, the growth, and the joy.
So, when it comes to creating a fantastic life, be sure to add setting high-quality, positive expectations to your happiness toolbox. It’s a powerful thing to expect awesomeness. To Expect fantastic experiences. Expect an amazing, delicious, joyful life and it will be.
Much love,
~ Kristi
