Anticipation Cuts Both Ways

Do you remember as a child how slowly the month of December would pass?  If you celebrated Christmas and were lucky enough to have a Christmas tree with a few presents underneath, it seemed like Christmas would never arrive.  Every minute was slow.  Time stood still.  But the anticipation of Christmas morning was exhilarating. 

Or have you ever been on a vacation and were already planning the next one before you got home?  I remember being in Florida one time and we were having a great time, and all I could think about was “when can we do this again?”  It seems like we have this habit of looking ahead and anticipating those good times.   

There is the flip side however to this notion of “anticipation”.  Sometimes we can be let down.  Maybe we think about something coming up that we don’t want to face.  Maybe you’re awaiting test results from a doctor that you are dreading.  Maybe your child is driving a long distance home from college and you’re concerned for their safety.  Maybe you just took an exam, and you know you didn’t do well, and the grades come out tomorrow.  The flip side of anticipation is worry.  Anticipation cuts both ways. 

I heard a quote recently that 90% of the things we worry about will never happen.  I’m not sure if that’s scientifically proven but it seems like an accurate sentiment, and I like that mindset.  To me it seems that we have a choice to make, will we choose to worry about the unknown and live in fear, or will we move ahead with confidence and roll with the punches. Worry is a waste of time, which happens to be our most precious resource.

So how do we simply “not worry” about it?  I think it takes practice.  Choose not to worry as much as possible.  Keep a positive mindset.  And I think it also requires being around other people who are positive.  Choose your friends and acquaintances wisely.

And don’t forget to choose an attitude of gratitude each and every day.  Sometimes it’s looking forward to those small everyday kind of things that makes us happy.  Maybe that’s your morning cup of coffee, breakfast with a friend, a good book we’ve been wanting to read, or the companionship of a furry friend.  It’s often the small things that matter most, so maybe we can focus on those good things, choose to be an optimist, pick good friends, and do good things for others.  As we roll into September I look forward to the fall with the change of seasons, and before we know it, Christmas will be here again.        

“The anticipation of pleasure is often as good as the pleasure itself” – David Hume