Expect the Unexpected and Be Pleasantly Surprised!

Every evening my husband and I ask the same question to each other, "Do you think we will have a good sunset this evening?" This is our ritual throughout the year. We live on a lake in Maine looking west to the mountains. Every night that we are home we have the opportunity to expect the unexpected and be surprised. Often times, we may not think the sun will break through the clouds or the sky does not appear to offer the beauty of other nights, and then we are surprised to see pinks, purple and gray light up against a backdrop of blue.

In life, w have choices. We can expect the unexpected and be pleasantly surprised or we can assume that things will not turn out the way we hoped. I am privileged to meet and coach many people during a time of work and life transition. When I first meet a person in transition, he or she may often meet me at my doorstep discouraged, angry and unsure of what the future will bring. As we begin working together, he or she may begin to let go and slowly start allowing themselves to see the future possibilities. This does not happen overnight. The future begins to unfold in small steps. People open the door to conversation about the future. They begin to be surprised by other's generosity of listening, sharing stories and providing support and leads for new job options.

When we are not open to possibilities, than we may not experience the joy of expecting the unexpected. We may stay stuck. We may operate from a negative base of "things won't work out." We become impatient. We want things to happen under our terms and in our timeline. When we actively wait and begin to expect the unexpected, we can experience surprise and joy.

I learned to watch the sunsets and see the beauty unfold before my eyes. I cannot rush it or predict it. I need to be patient and allow myself to let go of my expectations. Then, I wait for the unexpected to appear and experience the joy of being surprised.