A friend once gave me some wonderful advice. He told me to expect good things. We were just chatting and catching up during one of the few times we see each other throughout the year. As we casually exchanged updates about our families and lives, he shared this little nugget of wisdom—expect good things. I replied that I really liked that and he got serious and said it took him a long time to learn that lesson, but he meant it. Expect the best things to happen. What harm can there be in having that attitude? This is one of the many lessons I’ve learned that I need to constantly remind myself of.
Why do we seem to, by default, always think about the worst case scenario? How often do we deal with our challenges by imagining all the ways things could go wrong or make our lives hard, rather than expecting the best? Lately, I’ve found myself saying that I’m a skeptic, or that I want to manage my expectations and not get my hopes up. I think experience has lead me to take on that attitude, because of the many times I look for something to be a magical fix, only to end up feeling disappointed.
There’s got to be a better balance between blind optimism and flat out negativity. Maybe my wise friend is onto something. I think at the root of his advice is a message of hope and keeping it alive. If we look at life with an expectation of good things to come, it might help to push the worry out of our brains and allow us to enjoy the present a little more. Expecting good things could make it easier to soak up the passing moments that fill our days, without letting them be clouded by fear about the future.
I think the other factor in play here is the definition of “good” things. Life has a way of surprising us and catching us off guard. Just because what’s thrown our way might be different than we imagined doesn’t mean it’s not good. Expecting good things might be less specific or clearly defined than the type A part of my personality would like. But if the past few years are any indication of what’s to come, I know I have so much to look forward to! My life and my family look quite a bit different than what I expected just a few short years ago. The surprises have included a friendship turned romance, a CMV diagnosis, a move to a new home, a second child, leaving a job I loved to stay home with my boys and more. And all of it has been so, so good. Better than I could have imagined.
So instead of “managing my expectations” or “not getting my hopes up” as I think about what the future holds, I’m want to be better about expecting good things.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11