I am creating a new category of posts today – Inspiration Atop (a) Pot. I think the pun speaks for itself.

Expectations – what are they? Something you expect out of a situation. Something you ready your mind for to acquire, gather, gain, learn of a situation. Generally it’s human tendency [ok NOT to generalize – it is (was??) my tendency] to have pretty high expectations of something.

<noun.cognition> expectation, outlook, prospect1 — (belief about (or mental picture of) the future)

Thank you Wordnet 2.1 http://wordnet.princeton.edu/

For e.g. – I expected that I would be backpacking across Europe and have a lot of stories and experience to narrate when I was first approached with a German deputation. I expected that I would be knowing all the beer breweries of Germany by name and experience ;-)!

However, I realized that this is the wrong approach to any situation. Every situation should be approached not with expectations but with objectives.

<noun.cognition> aim1, object, objective, target — (the goal intended to be attained (and which is believed to be attainable); “the sole object of her trip was to see her children”)

 

Thank you Wordnet 2.1 http://wordnet.princeton.edu/

For e.g. – My objective of the German trip would be that i will backpack across Europe and will hence have a lot of stories and experience to narrate. I will know all the beer breweries in Germany by name and experience ;-)!

I dunno if you see the difference, but High Atop (a) Pot, I realized the difference! I also realized that without any expectations, your success / failure is determined ONLY by you, which if you are me, would make you do what you came to do =D!

The same can also be applied to any situation by you. Lower the expectations always [followed excellently by bum chum – G]. Once you have lowered the expectations, anything you do [even as part of your objective / not] will be considered as “exceeding expectation” – a sure shot way to succeed and for people to appreciate.

E.g. Lower the expectations completely. Make people believe you are a lazy selfish bugger.
Offering to help a girl with her luggage suddenly means a whole lot more. People suddenly think that you are caring as you have definitely exceeded their expectations.

Probably one of life’s most important lessons… 😉 preached – High Atop (a) Pot!